When You Least Expect It
by PhantomPhan
Summary: An old enemy is back, a dangerous new ally arrives, and the lives of two opposites are intertwined. Let's get dangerous.
1. Waking Up

Disclaimer:  I do not own any characters mentioned henceforth.  Never did, never will.  All characters mentioned in this chapter are copyright to Disney.  This fic is for non-profit reasons.

Just a few ground rules:  This is my first fic, reviews are *greatly appreciated* (nudge nudge wink wink hint hint).  The only thing I will not tolerate is complaints that this story is a cop off of someone else's.  I wrote this story, and made an effort not to steal anyone's ideas.  Any complaints of this nature will be put in whiner's box *thinks fondly of trash can* Well, if I have not scared you away, read on sports fans! 

A terrified bird crept frantically in the shadows.

_Clank.  Clank._

The last remaining leader of F.O.W.L found himself trapped in a corner of his own lavish office, terrified beyond rational thought.

_Clank.  Clank._

His heart pounded as the large figure drew closer, bringing with him the foul bird's imminent death.

_Clank.  Clank._

The bird trembled in the shadows, the only thing visible of him were his very frightened white eyes.

_Clank.  Clank._

The hulking form stepped forward into a patch of moonlight.  The light reflected eerily off his metal helmet and illuminated the evil smile that formed on what was left of his face.  It caused ghostly shadows to play across his features, making the shape look more frightening than ever.  His eyes narrowed into wicked slits as he spoke in a low, dangerous voice.

"What irony.  You're little creation of greed has come back to haunt you."

The bird sputtered, pleading for his life, "Listen, no – no, you don't need to do this – we saved you, made you better than, than –"

The figure uttered a cold, cruel laugh that made the bird's black heart freeze.

"Don't try to guilt me, you worthless fool.  You saw an opportunity to gain more power for yourself.  And oh, how the tables have turned…who knew you would be groveling before that creation of yours as it takes over your fun little club…or should I say, fiendish organization?"

"Please…please…"

"Say goodnight," the terrifying creature hissed viciously as it aimed its blaster arm at directly at the bird's head, and fired.

"NO!"

_Slam!  Crash!_

Drake Mallard's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise.  Still dazed with sleep he looked around wildly for the culprit.  His eyes narrowed as they landed on his inconspicuous alarm clock.  

"3:18 pm!  That's way too early!" he cried indignantly, his voice muffled by his pillow.

The duck raised his fist above the clock, stealthy as a cobra, poised to strike.

_Crash!_

The sound of glass shattering stopped Drake in mid swing.  A look of confusion appeared on his face.

"If that wasn't the clock, then it must have been…" he paused, then his face contorted with anger, "GOSALYN!"

Mumbling to himself, a disgruntled Drake Mallard pushed himself out bed.  Scratching his back and yawning, he threw on a maroon robe before heading out his bedroom door.

Downstairs in the kitchen, a small boy with thick red glasses stood with a hackey-sack in his trembling hands.  Looming over him was a brown-haired boy nearly twice his size in red shirt.

"You're goin' down, twerp," the larger boy said, grinning in a threatening manner.

"Not if I can help it!"

A spunky redheaded duckling leapt from the top of the refrigerator and landed next to the two boys in a crouched position.  She looked up at them, her green eyes agleam with competitive spirit.  

"Over here, Honk!" she cried.

The smaller boy grinned and tossed her the hackey-sack.  The other boy turned to her, growling, "I'm gonna enjoy this!"

He lunged at the girl, who deftly jumped into the air.  The boy let out a whoosh of air as he hit the floor and slid into the refrigerator.  

"Ha!  Maybe next time, Tank!" the redhead shouted triumphantly.  She turned to Honker.  "C'mon, let's get back to base!  Time to plan our attack!"  

She sprinted through the kitchen with Honker right behind her.

"Shhhhh!  We have to be quiet so we don't wake up – "

The redhead whipped around the corner to run up the stairs, only to come face to face with a very peeved Drake Mallard.

"Daaaaaaaaaad!" the girl exclaimed casually, trying to cover up her shock.  "How nice of you to join us!  We were just about to…"

"Save it, Gosalyn!" her father shouted,  "Just what do you think you're doing!"

"We were only playing a friendly game of indoor keep away," Gosalyn said, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

Drake turned and looked out into the kitchen.  Various broken objects were scattered everywhere, a boy lay motionless on the floor, and smoke was billowing from somewhere unknown.  The whole scene bore a striking resemblance to a war zone.  Grimacing, Drake turned back to daughter, who grinned up at him sheepishly.

"As I've told you before, it's strictly forbidden to partake in World War Three in this household!  And where was Launchpad during all of this?  Probably  a prisoner of war…"

"Launchpad's out at the mall picking up some stuff," Gosalyn said.

Behind her, Honker nodded vigorously.

Drake frowned.  "Now see here, young lady – "

All three looked up as a small purple airplane in the shape of a duck's head soared through the window and stopped dead in front of Drake.

"The Flashquack!" he cried excitedly.

The small plane spat a piece of paper out of its mouth directly into his face.  It turned and sped out the window as quickly as it had come in.  Drake plucked the paper off of his bill and read it aloud.

"We have received urgent news.  Darkwing, please report immediately to S.H.U.S.H. headquarters."

Drake Mallard swelled with pride.

"Yep yep yep…ahhh, looks like ol' J. Gander needs my expertise," he commented, but then noticed Gosalyn slowly edging towards the door, "Hold it right there, young lady…"

Gosalyn froze, then looked at her father, cringing.

"You better have this looking like a kitchen by the time I get back!"

The girl grumbled something that sounded remarkably like "tyrant" to Honker, but Drake did not seem to notice.  He was already walking towards two blue chairs on the other side of the room.  He plopped down in one and punched the detective statue sitting on the table next to it on the head.  In a flash, the chairs spun around, and Drake was gone.


	2. Things gone aFOWL

Disclaimer:  I do not own any characters mentioned henceforth.  Never did, never will.  All characters mentioned in this chapter are copyright to Disney.  This fic is for non-profit reasons.

The city of St. Canard had reached the few glorious minutes between afternoon and sunset, the time where the day still feels like it will last forever.  For a few police officers, the day had been just long enough.

Sirens wailed, red and blue lights blinked hypnotically.  Nameless civilians frantically danced about, well rehearsed in what had become a normal routine.  A rookie officer shouted for everyone to remain calm, then, realizing the futility of his actions, shrugged and walked away.  The First National Bank had been robbed.  Again.

"What happened," croaked a large, red-faced duck wearily.

"Well, uh, y-y-you see, sir, you see – "

"Lemme guess.  He threatened the tellers.  The people cowered.  He stole. He disappeared."

The scrawny goose blinked stupidly, then nodded, "Yea."

The bulky duck turned and bellowed, "WHERE IS HE!"

While police officers scrambled in a frantic game of hide-and-go-seek, a lone figure overlooked the scene with amusement.  His jet-black cape rustled slightly, his yellow jacket and red hat stood out against the pinkening sky in sharp relief.  The black mask, the piece of cloth that hid his face from the world, shifted as Negaduck narrowed his eyes.

Down below, two officers slammed into each other.

"These guys are priceless," Negaduck chuckled.

Turning away from the scene with a dramatic flourish of his cape, the mallard surveyed his domain.

"So many victims, so little time," he mused quietly.

Then came a loud crash, followed by a high-pitched scream, ending with a, "Willie!  You idiot!"

Negaduck's face crafted into an evil smirk.  He strutted back to the ledge and gazed down.  As he watched the chaos below, a feeling of glee spread through his veins like a drug.  Pure, unbridled glee, all at the suffering of others.  It was a high that he could not get enough of.  However, like most highs, it was only a temporary one.  The sensation would disappear as quickly as it had come.

Negaduck's face fell.  The feeling had left, as it always did.  Suddenly he felt cheated.

"Those knobs, this is supposed to make me feel good!" he growled.  

It was their fault.  He had tried his hardest to make their lives miserable, and how did they repay him?  Panicking a few minutes, then going about their lives as if nothing ever occurred.  

"To Hell with them, I'll just blow this place up," Negaduck threatened, then grinned at his good idea.  Yea, that would do it.  He'd blow the place up, then they'd be sorry.

Still grinning, Negaduck turned to the fire escape, and in doing so came face to face with the setting sun.  

Soft orange brush strokes had been painted on the great canvas, fading into pink, fading into purple.  A few stars twinkled in the evening sky as the bright orb waved goodbye with the promise of a new tomorrow.

"Ech," Negaduck cringed, making a grotesque face.  He wished he could blow that up, too.

*~*~*~*

SHUSH headquarters was buzzing with the sound of a new case.  Researchers pounded the keys, squinting at their computer screens, eyes never staying still for more than a second.  Agents bustled in and out of rooms, delivering papers, meeting with other agents, or just trying to figure out what was going on.  

Director J. Gander Hooter spoke quietly with Doctor Sarah Bellum, until a great puff of blue smoke erupted behind him.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

"Oh, hello Darkwing," J. Gander remarked.

"I am the bright beacon that guides you safely to shore!  I, am - "

"Darkwing please, we have a desperate situation on our hands!"  J. Gander said exasperated.

Darkwing Duck, now in purple jacket with complimenting cape, hat, and mask, dropped his hand to his sides, looking dejected.

Suddenly Darkwing heard an accented chuckle behind him.  He turned to face the hulking figure of none other than Vladimir Gryzlikoff, the embodiment of stuffy SHUSH agents.  

"I am here, J. Gander sir, vithout stupid introduction," he stated.

Darkwing glared, but regained his composure.

"Sorry 'bout that J. Gander, it won't happen again.  Now what is it you called me down here for, because whatever it is, I'll be sure to use my original technique.  The one I'm called for when handbook tactics fail miserably," he said, glancing at Gryzlikoff. 

The bear turned a brilliant shade of angry crimson.

Darkwing smirked.  "Impressive, Gryz!  It's amazing how efficiently you can transform from agent to tomato!  C'mon, lemme see another one!"

Gryzlikoff had now changed to violet.  "SURE!  I SHOW YOU NOODLENUT CHANGING TO PRETZEL!"  he bellowed, leaning aggressively over the caped duck.

"Ah ah ah I don't think that comment is part of SHUSH procedure," Darkwing quipped.

Gryzlikoff growled and stepped forward, but J. Gander interjected.

"Gentlemen please!  We are in a dire state of affairs!  There is no time for childish quarrels," the old owl stated wearily.

Gryzikoff closed his mouth and stood at attention, clearly embarrassed.  Darkwing clasped his hands behind him and watched the director intently.

"Now," uttered J. Gander, "last night something happened that we could have never imagined.  FOWL headquarters was destroyed."

"WHAT!?"  Darkwing and Gryzlikoff exclaimed in unison, and exchanged puzzled looks.  Confused at Gander's stern manner, Darkwing asked, "Well, that's, _good_, isn't it?"

"Far from it, I'm afraid," J. Gander said ominously.  "We have reason to believe that FOWL was overthrown."

Darkwing and Gryzlikoff listened closely.

"SHUSH spies provided that a single being, powerful beyond explanation, penetrated FOWL and single-handedly brought down the organization.  Agent Steelbeak and the like have fled, the leaders have been destroyed, along with our spies."

Gryzlikoff's eyes widened.

"They managed to transmit the information they possessed before they were attacked," J. Gander finished, the sadness evident in his eyes.

Darkwing spoke up.

"Who – or what – could have done this?"

J. Gander shook his head.  "That is precisely what we are trying to find out right now.  Who could possibly have the motive and power to bring down such a strong opponent as FOWL is unknown."

"However, that is not the only reason I have called you, Darkwing.  As you will soon see, the conquering of FOWL has not occurred at an ideal time.  Tomorrow morning at precisely one o'clock a.m. international SHUSH agents will be delivering a very important artifact."

"And you would like me to offer my assistance in the transport.  Have no fear, Darkwing Duck will make sure the transport goes as smooth as possible, " he said confidently.

"There is no need for your aid in the transport Darkwing," J. Gander said, inducing a grin from Gryzlikoff, "I only ask that you stay behind the scenes and make sure that no one interferes.  This artifact is dangerous and highly vital to our studies."

"Don't worry," Darkwing said proudly, "You'll have the artifact safe and sound in your lab in no time J. Gander.  Where do you want me to be?"

"The artifact is to be delivered by a cargo ship at the St. Canard docks.  You and Agent Gryzlikoff can keep the area under surveillance."

"WHAT!?  But J. Gander I – "

"Good day, Darkwing Duck," J. Gander stated calmly, and walked away.

Clenching his fists, Darkwing turned and shot daggers at Gryzlikoff.  

"See you tonight, Noodlenut," the bear said coolly. 

*~*~*~*

Negaduck kicked open the door of his hideout and stalked inside.  With an angry slam he shut the door and threw his hat against the wall, missing the hook.  His precious hat fell to the floor, but he did not notice.  Negaduck was too busy fuming.

What was going on?  He robbed a bank, terrified citizens beyond reason, blew up the bank, and for what!  Nothing.  He was still just as livid as he had been this afternoon when he woke up.  

He sighed.  Though he hated to admit it, Negaduck knew that he was bored.  Bored with banks, bored with the so-called "law enforcement", bored with everything.  Come to think of it, robbing banks was a tad cliché, and triteness was something Negaduck tried to avoid.  

Leaning back on his rotting chair, the mallard clasped his hands and stared at the ceiling, waiting for a sign.

Suddenly the ground shuddered and piece of ceiling plaster broke free and proceeded to land on his face.

Angry though he was, the plaster did not surprise him.  Negaduck's temporary hideout was none other than the dilapidated Billy-Bob's Fish'n Chips.  Once the FDA noticed that Billy-Bob had failed his Sanitation Exam six times, he was unwillingly evicted.  Located on the St. Canard dock, the place reeked of dead fish and repelled people for miles.  Not as roomy as the tuna factory but hey, super villains can't be choosers.

Another shudder caused Negaduck to tip backwards and bang his head unceremoniously on the floor.  He silently vowed that he would never wait for a sign again.  Rubbing his aching skull, he got up and stormed over to the window, ready flip off whoever or whatever caused his discomfort.  A cool breeze wafted in through the broken window, and as Negaduck looked outside, his eyebrow's raised.  The stars glittered in the midnight sky, shining light upon a lone cargo ship in Audubon Bay.  

"Maybe tonight won't suck so bad after all," the black-masked mallard said, and his eyes turned into evil slits in the night.


	3. Chicken or Egg: You Decide

Disclaimer:  All characters, save the shadowy figure, are not mine.  

My heart goes out to the people who took the time to review.  Your comments are greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Warning:  Slight violence in this chapter.  Nothing much.  Consider yourself warned.

And now, on with the show!

As the courageous caped crime fighter crept cautiously closer, he caught sight of the clandestine crew, carefully – 

"Vy do you say vhat you is doing all of dee time?"

"What?"

Darkwing Duck snapped back into reality as his partner lumbered to his side.  The night was cool, and deathly quiet.  It seemed that any whisper broke the spell and disturbed the faultless silence.  The stars flickered in the royal blue sky, allowing little light to penetrate the dark night.  The SHUSH agents, disguised as the crew of a cargo ship, worked efficiently and noiselessly, as if each move that was made had been practiced beforehand.  The night seemed as though nothing could possibly wrong, but at the same time on the brink of falling into disaster.

"I say, vy do you say vhat you is doing all of the time?" Gryzlikoff repeated.

"Because, it uh, keeps me focused," Darkwing replied hastily, then added, "all the greats do it."

"Is against SHUSH regoolation.  SHUSH regoolation say only speak vhen is absolutely necessary," the bear said, straightening his shoulders.

"Well, I'm not a SHUSH agent, therefore, I don't need to follow 'SHUSH regoolatin,'" Darkwing mocked haughtily.

The eerie quiet of the night unnerved the mallard.  Everything was working too well.  The scenario practically begged something to go awry.

*~*~*~*

            A few yards away, a mirror image of Darkwing Duck moved stealthily, taking advantage of every shadow, niche, and obstruction in his path.  Tip-toeing across the boardwalk he flattened himself against the wall of the now infamous tuna warehouse.  Peeking around the corner, Negaduck observed the scene with interest.

It was unusual for ships to arrive in the St. Canard Bay in the middle of the night, let alone the crew being this quiet.  This was bound to be something important.  Concentrating on the advantage of silence, the masked mallard crept closer.

*~*~*~*

"I say no!"

"Well I say yes!"

"I am still saying NO!"

"And I still say YES!"

"No no and no, dee chicken did NOT come before dee EGG!"

"Yes it did!"

"Then explain to me this, Noodlenut, where did dee chicken come from?"

"Well you know what Agent Stroganoff, I don't think the chicken really cares, as long as it went – "

BOOOOOM!

I tremendous roar reverberated through the air, shattering the silent beauty of the night into pieces.  Nearly thrown off of his feet, Darkwing grasped the fishnet hanging behind him.  Looking left and right trying to find the source, he had a split second to duck as wooden boards, shards of metal, and other debris hurtled towards him.  Darkwing hit the ground and put his hands over his head, loose pieces pummeling his back.  The clamor slowly faded away as Darkwing slowly lifted his head, catching his breath at what he saw.

*~*~*~*

"What the Hell!"  Negaduck cried as he clung to some barrels for support.  From where he was standing, he could see plumes of smoke in front of the ship, debris flying everywhere.  As the smoke slowly grew fainter, he could see a large smoldering hole in the pier where several crewmembers once stood.  Intrigued by the concept, but annoyed that he did not think of it first, Negaduck marched towards the wreckage.

*~*~*~*

If silence had touched the face St. Canard Bay earlier, chaos had just slapped it.  Screams cut through the air like a knife, the '_thomp thomp'_ of feet racing across the boardwalk seemed to echo ten times louder than normal.  

"The – agents, ve must, get to, dee agents," Gryzlikoff panted as the two closed in on the carnage.  

Darkwing reached the burning edge of the pier first. He leaned forward to see if any SHUSH agents were trapped, when suddenly a yellow blur collided with him square in the chest.  Darkwing flew backwards and landed flat on his back.  He shook his head to clear the little cargo ships dancing in front of his eyes, and blinked as he stared at his equally bewildered reflection in the black visor of a FOWL eggman.  The helmeted duck pointed his gun between his opponent's eyes.  

Darkwing's head cleared and his instincts reacted rapidly.  He brought his knees up to his chest and gave the eggman a swift web kick in the stomach.  He quickly got to his feet and looked around.  Eggmen were practically pouring out of the hole, partaking in hand-to-hand combat with the remaining SHUSH agents.

"Vhat is going on!" Gryzlikoff cried, taking out a drone with a well-aimed punch, "I thought FOWL vas destroyed!"

"It stands to reason Gryz," Darkwing said between ducks and kicks, "the eggmen are loyal to whoever their leader is, and if FOWL was overthrown – "

Darkwing stopped in mid sentence at a sickening but unmistakable sound.  He turned around to see a large eggman slumped over a figure he could not make out.  The stranger pushed the dead eggman off of his knife and let him fall to the ground.  Darkwing's eyes followed the trail from the dripping tip of the knife, up a yellow-jacketed arm, resting on a face so much like yet so different from his own.

"Negaduck . . ." Darkwing seethed, "so you're behind this."

Negaduck smirked while wiping the blood off his knife on the fallen eggman.

"Yes Dipwing.  That is why I just stabbed my own man.  Only then will I be able to rule St. Canard."

Sensing his sarcasm Darkwing regarding him warily.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Well, flattered though I am, this is unfortunately not the fruit of my own labor.  I simply noticed some fellow citizens in need, and decided to offer my services," Negaduck answered, the picture of innocence.

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Duckland," Darkwing scoffed dryly.

"Really?  I pity the pour souls of Duckland then," Negaduck mused sarcastically.

"Well, even if you 'decided to offer your services', killing your opponent is not the answer.  When fighting for truth, one must fight with justice in order to serve justice.  Stun, not stab," Darkwing proclaimed, cape billowing behind him dramatically with trumpets playing softly in the background.

To emphasize his point Darkwing quickly loaded a glue bomb cartridge into his gasgun, then aimed for the largest group of eggmen and fired.  The cartridge struck an eggman in the head and exploded, suspending the swearing and squirming drones in a sticky mess of goo.

"Good thing I'm not fighting for truth," Negaduck retorted, then pulled out a handgun from somewhere deep within his cape, and fired.  Darkwing had barely reacted as the bullet whizzed by his head, missing by inches.  He heard the sound of an eggman grunting and falling behind him, and glared at his opposite.

"Oops, missed," Negaduck said, a menacing grin growing on his face.

Unbeknownst to the two mallards, a spectator dwelled in their midst.  High above, crouched in the windowsill of the tuna factory, a dark figure watched with interest.

Negaduck noticed a large group of eggmen hurtling their way.  Grinning at his enemy, he cried, "Have fun fighting for justice, Darkwing Dunce!" 

He sped away, leaving Darkwing to get pounced upon by no less than six eggmen.  

The drones relentlessly bore into him like sharks at a feeding frenzy.  Darkwing found himself punching and kicking wildly, but it appeared to be useless.  Arms and legs seemed to be everywhere, striking, clawing, and pounding. Darkwing's vision started to cloud; his mind started to float away.  He fancied that he was witnessing the eggmen leaping away in all directions, and the pain slowly left him.

"Bye guys," Darkwing said to the disappearing eggmen dreamily.

Suddenly he saw a great gray and brown mass, and the last eggman floated away.  Darkwing could see a vast brown blur before his eyes.

"Darkving, Darkving is you alright?"

Darkwing Duck blinked, and the image in front of him began to get crisper.  Soon Gryzlikoff's genuinely worried face came sharply into focus.

"Yea, yea, I'm fine, I'm fine," Darkwing mumbled, trying to sit up.

"Good," Gryzlikoff grunted, and yanked Darkwing to his feet.

Darkwing's head swam for a moment, but he quickly regained focus, not to mention vanity.  He picked up his crumpled hat and worked out the kinks, dusted it off, put it on his head, adjusted it to just the right angle, straightened his cape over his shoulders, dusted off his arms, then turned to the bear.

"Where did that scheming scofflaw scramble?"

"You is speaking of your little yellow friend?  He go on dee ship.  I'll – "

Darkwing quickly interrupted, "Okay.  I'll get that devious duck while you take care of the agents," and he ran to the cargo ship, leaping over fallen eggmen in the process.

"You are velcome," Gryzlikoff growled, and then turned to his wounded comrades.

*~*~*~*

Negaduck boarded the now unguarded cargo ship, keeping alert in case of an ambush.  It seemed uncannily quiet versus the pandemonium on the pier.  The ship slowly swayed side to side, the only noise was the gentle lapping of waves against the hull.  The mallard crept forward, looking for something, though he knew not what.  The clouds slid away from their spot in front of the moon, and a wan light bathed the deck. 

"So, we meet again, Darkwing Duck."

The feathers on the back of his neck stood up at the sound of the unexpected voice.  Negaduck whipped around, hackles raised.

"I'm not – huh?"


	4. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer:  The female duck whose name has not been mentioned yet is my character.  All others *sighs* are not mine, Disney has them.  For now. *shifts eyes in a sinister manner*

I thank from the bottom of my heart the people who took their valuable time to read and review my first, lowly, little fic.  THANK YOU!

When is it that silence can be the most threatening thing of all?  When it unnerves a person to the point of insanity; when it pounds the eardrums with an incessant beat?  When it sends you to the very edge, you cannot go back, but you cannot look down?

            Negaduck stared at the redoubtable figure before him.  With one glance he could tell that he was more than twice his height, weight, and most likely strength.  There was silence now.  A dead silence that floated down like snow and covered them completely, smothering them.  The figure took a step toward Negaduck.  The mallard held his ground.  The moonlight partially revealed a shining helmet embedded with strange horns.

"I see you have changed your costume.  An attempt to fool me, I see.  However, I am afraid that I am not the fool here," the figure said in a heavily accented voice.  

A wicked grin formed on Negaduck's beak.

"Sorry pal, but you're in the wrong place if you're looking for that dimwit.  But I am not so sorry to say that you've encountered something much worse."

Negaduck slowly reached a hand behind his back, fingering the trigger of his rifle.

The figure took another step forward.  The light now washed over a gleaming titanium breastplate between two hulking shoulders.

"Interesting.  Your voice has changed.  Another attempt at hiding yourself from me I assume, Darkwing."

Negaduck gritted his teeth and his fists clenched involuntarily.  

"I don't know who you think you are," he whispered in a low hiss dripping with disdain, enough to throw back the figure before him, "but if you call me by that damn idiot's name again, you are going to wish you'd never been born."

The figure stepped forward yet again.  He was fully in the light now, exposing a broad, bullish face twisted in a sick sneer.  He leaned forward so he was an inch from Negaduck's face, and the mallard cringed at the rancid smell of stale breath.  

Staring Negaduck straight in the eye, he questioned forebodingly, "And just was is it that you plan on doing?"

Negaduck stared back boldly.  However, he was confused.  Who was this?  Where had he seen this face before?

The bull could not help but notice the questioning in the mallard's eyes.  So he truly did not know who he was.  So this actually was not Darkwing Duck, was it?

"Here, let me show you," Negaduck seethed.

In the blink of an eye Negaduck whipped out his gun and fired.  The bull reacted almost mechanically and moved to the right, and the bullets ricocheted off of his metal shoulder.  He snarled and swung a heavy arm at his opponent, who ducked and rolled to the side.  The bull bared his teeth and charged.  He swung left and right – the mallard deftly deflected both punches.  Thinking fast Negaduck quickly grabbed his cape and swung it over the cyborg's head, trapping him in the cloth.  

The hulking creature's cry was muffled as he struggled helplessly, trying to free his head from the mallard's cape.  Negaduck took advantage of his vulnerability and brought his knee up, pulling the bull's head down at the same time.  His chin collided sharply with the bone of the kneecap, and the cyborg cried out.  He clutched his face and staggered backwards.

Negaduck seized the opportunity and ran, but not without a few parting words.

"Sorry sucker, but that's what you get when you mess with NegaWHAAAAA!"

Forgetting the fundamental rule of watching where one is going, Negaduck tripped over a wooden crate and became a bird of flight.  He landed on his chest a few feet away, spouting colorful phrases all the while.  

Still grumbling, he pushed himself up onto his knees and turned his head – only to come nose to nose with a very threatening blaster arm.  Taking a deep breath he lifted his eyes from the muzzle of the weapon to the very triumphant face of a bull.

"Well, it has been so much fun," the cyborg said with a disturbing smirk, "but I find that you have only gotten in the way of my plans.  And the Devil's Eye does not wait for anyone."

"Devil's Eye?  What's that?" Negaduck asked, attempting to stall for time.

"I am deeply sorry, but you will just have to ask el Diablo that one," the bull whispered.

For a split-second Negaduck remembered fondly that he was going to Hell when he heard a whoosh of air, followed by, "I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

Suddenly Negaduck felt the urge to both laugh and cry at the same time.  Still looking at the cyborg, he pleaded, "You have got to be kidding me."

"I am the curve ball that you'll never hit!"

Negaduck grabbed the bull's gun and pushed it against his own head, crying, "Kill me!  Kill me now!  I can't take it!"

"I am Darkwing Duck!"   

Negaduck groaned and smacked his forehead.  He heard a whizzing sound, followed by an explosion of smoke, and he found the bull was no longer visible, but he could hear him sneezing uncontrollably.  Negaduck quickly got to his feet and ran blindly through the smoke, making sure to cover his nose.  

Finally clearing through the plumes, he looked and found Darkwing Duck holding his gasgun, watching the cyborg intently.

The sneezing fit came to a stop, and the two regarded each other face to face.  

"Ah, the _real_ Darkwing Duck.  How nice to see you again."

"Oh, believe me, the pleasure's all mine Taurus Bulba."

The two enemies stared at each other in the moonlight.  The unearthly silence had returned, causing emotions to run high.  Off to one side, Negaduck's eyes switched from one figure to the other.  The look on his opposite's face was one more intense and full of contempt than he had ever witnessed.  Taurus Bulba possessed a smile overflowing with both sick glee and utter resentment.  The seconds painfully ticked away.

Finally Darkwing broke the silence, "What's wrong?  The other cows wouldn't accept you into their pasture?"

To his surprise, Taurus Bulba smiled.

"Why no, I am afraid that is not the reason why I am here.  However, the purpose of my company will soon become clear, for you see Darkwing, my plan is in motion, and I cannot kill you yet.  Your presence will be a necessity later.  But for now…"

Taurus Bulba fired two shots from the weapons on his helmet.  One at Darkwing, one at Negaduck, both of whom leapt out of the way.  Darkwing landed next to the deck's control panel, and was struck with an idea.  Hastily reading the labels he pressed the one that read "cargo hold".  The floor directly behind Taurus Bulba opened.

"Ooh, Darkwing, how clever," Bulba chuckled.

"Yes, I know," Darkwing mused with an upward glance.  He then pulled the lever labeled "net release".

The net above Bulba dropped, spilling upon him thousands of dead fish.  

While Taurus Bulba struggled with the slippery mess, Darkwing grinned, pleased with SHUSH's remarkable disguises.  Speaking of which, the crime fighter noticed the nondescript wooden crate on the floor.  Perfect.

Darkwing ran forward and picked up the surprisingly light box.  Bulba had just finished the conflict with the fish, and was beginning to lose his temper.  

"Oh Taurus Bulba…"

Baring his teeth the bull looked up.

"Catch!"

Darkwing Duck hurled the box at him.  Bulba reacted quickly and punched the box out of his way; the box shattered and spilled its contents on the deck.

The sudden movement caused Taurus to lose his balance and he staggered backwards.  He stepped on one of the many fish that littered the deck.  The bull slipped and fell dramatically into the open cargo hold, swearing all the way.  

Darkwing victoriously pressed the cargo button once more, and it closed before Taurus Bulba had the chance to escape.

"Yep yep yep…ahhhh.  One bull down, zero to go."

He was just about to walk off the ship when he caught sight of a strange object on the deck.  It was one of the many objects that had flown out of the broken crate.  Curious, Darkwing walked over to it and gazed down.  

It looked to be a glass orb, no bigger than a softball.  The orb possessed a brilliantly deep shade of ebony.  So much that it seemed unreal, like a black hole had opened in the earth, preparing to draw everyone into the void.  What startled Darkwing, however, were the silver mists swirling about mysteriously inside.  Tiny wisps of gray vapor, churning in no distinct pattern, set upon a background of ebony.  It was truly beautiful.

Suddenly it dawned on him.

"This must be the artifact being delivered to SHUSH!" Darkwing gasped, clapping his forehead.

He reached forward to pick it up.  The instant his fingertips touched the orb, Darkwing saw a flash before his eyes.  It was like someone had taken a picture in his head.  He felt as though he was spinning through space, and his mind became a blur of motion.

Suddenly he saw strange images…a woman falling…an aged mallard crying…

Another dazzling flash and the images were gone.  Darkwing blinked, and he could now see his fingertips strongly pressing against the mysterious orb.  He was trembling and very confused.  Why had those images, _those _images, suddenly occurred to him?  Shaking his head, Darkwing Duck picked up the orb and strode towards the pier.

"HA!"

An abrupt pain in his back knocked the wind out of him, and his beak sharply struck the floor.  The orb fell out of his hands and rolled out onto the deck.  

Negaduck stood on top of him, laughing derisively.

"Didn't forget about me now, did we Darkwing Dufus?"

Negaduck stepped on his rival's head and beak before making his way to the orb.

"Finders keepers losers wee – " 

Negaduck reached down and grasped the orb, and a flash like a camera snapped in front of his eyes.  His mind spun, and he could see disturbing pictures…a woman falling…an aged mallard shaking with fury…

The flash arose once more and Negaduck shook his head violently.  He threw a startled look at Darkwing, who looked back equally perplexed, and a momentary understanding passed between them.  Keyword being momentary.

Negaduck shook off the unsettling feeling and his face quickly shifted into an evil smirk.

"Bonjour, bonehead!" he cried with a salute.  Seizing the orb tightly, he leapt onto the pier and ran.

His webbed feet pounded the wooden planks, exhilaration pumped through his veins.  He gained speed, the adrenaline churned, nothing could stop him now – 

SLAM!

With an almighty crash, Negaduck collided with a black blur that had bounded out in front of him.  The massive impact caused the orb to fly out of his hand.  He plowed down the figure before him, and he came crashing down as well, landing on top of the stranger.

Negaduck lifted his aching head and shook away the little chainsaws dancing in front of his eyes.   

A groan sounded beneath him, and he snarled, "Why don't you watch where you're goin'!"  

Negaduck looked down and glared.  

Underneath him lay a young female duck; her feathers were a soft taupe in color, her wavy bordering on curly hair was a deep brown streaked with black.  She shook her head, attempting to clear the dizziness, and opened her eyes.  They were an alluring sea green, she stared with them at the mallard, the picture of innocence.

Negaduck stared back, trying to comprehend the fact that not only had his gleeful sprint been brought to a stop by this woman, but he was now laying on top of her in the middle of the night on the docks.

He became even more baffled, however, when the innocent face below him rapidly transformed into intense anger, and in one swift movement she grabbed him by the nose and flung him off of her in a spectacular nostril flip.

Negaduck now laid on his back, stunned, staring foolishly up at the twinkling stars.  He heard increasingly loud footsteps pounding the dock, and to add insult to injury, the footsteps ceased and Darkwing Duck leaned over him.

"Now if that wasn't a Koquack moment, I don't know what was," he taunted, grinning down at his nemesis.  

Negaduck ground his teeth and prepared to punch Darkwing's stupid face in when they heard a sinister chuckle.  The two mallards looked up to see Taurus Bulba sneering at them, holding the orb in his large hand.  The woman ran up and stopped beside Darkwing, he whole body tense, staring at the orb.

"I must admit, this whole display has been quite precious.  But now I will be the bearer of bad news.  For you, Darkwing, this is the beginning of the end.  My plan is working perfectly, and soon I will bring upon you not only _your_ destruction, but also that of everyone you hold dear.  Especially…G_oo_salyn."

Darkwing growled and leaned forward assertively.

Taurus Bulba opened his mouth to continue, but then suddenly turned his head and fired with his horns.  Darkwing looked to see Gryzlikoff and his fellow SHUSH agents, who had been prepared to strike, now jumping back and trembling slightly.

Taurus turned back to Darkwing and smiled.

"As you will soon see, Taurus Bulba will be St. Canard's worst nightmare!" he proclaimed proudly.

His smile quickly faded as he heard a sarcastic snort.  He searched for the culprit, and his one eye settled on Negaduck, who was still laying the deck propped up on his elbows.  The mallard grinned at the bull menacingly.

"And you, the Darkwing decoy," Bulba scoffed, causing Negaduck to scowl, "you too will suffer for your previous insubordinance."

Though Darkwing thought he was imagining things, he could have sworn that the night seemed unexpectedly cold, as if all the warmth had been stolen from their bodies.

Staring at the orb, Bulba announced, "And now if you will excuse me, the Devil's Eye and I have some work to do.  Goodbye for now, Darkwing Duck!"

With that, Taurus Bulba placed the Devil's Eye into a compartment in his armor.  He transformed his arms into a glider, and flew away into the dark night.

Darkwing Duck watched him go until he could no longer see the orange glow of his thruster.  He inhaled deeply, then let out the air in a long sigh.

"Oh boy," he muttered.

Negaduck got to his feet and gave the woman a piercing glare, who to his surprise, glared right back.  They stared at each other for a few heated seconds before Negaduck finally pulled himself away.  The night had been long and exhausting, and he was in desperate need of a crash.

"Well Dorkwing, if I wasn't so friggin' tired I'd blow you into oblivion.  Have fun with that little bovine buddy of yours, I'm outta here."

Negaduck began to walk away when he heard a smooth, feminine voice behind him.

"Nice try, but you can't do that."

The black-masked mallard stopped in his tracks and took a deep, steadying breath.  He mentally vowed never to complain about robbing banks again.

NOTE:  I'm really sorry, but I might not be able to update for awhile.  I have midterms and a term paper to do, so Godforsaken school is going to take priority for now.  I do promise however that I will not abandon this fic, I love it very much, so please be patient with me.


	5. Opposites Attack

Disclaimer:  For the one in a million chance Disney reads this, all characters mentioned within this fic, except Aviana, are not mine.

Again, I can't thank my reviewers enough.  You guys make me feel so loved! *sniffles*  Okay I'll stop.

            Sleep can be a valuable thing.  When you are asleep, you do not have to know how long a single night can be.  You are off in your dreams, floating until the morning sun.

Negaduck turned in a slow, threatening manner.  In a perilously calm voice he asked, "Come again?"

The woman looked back, equally calm, "I said, you can't do that.  You can't really leave."

Negaduck's eyes narrowed.  _No one_ told _him_ what to do.

"Oh yes I can.  I'm Negaduck.  I can do whatever I want, whenever I want."

The woman took a step towards him.

"Alright then, _Negaduck_, you can leave.  But you'll be back."

The mallard advanced a step.

"Oh yeah?"

She stepped forward.

"Yeah."

He stepped forward.

"What makes you so sure?"

She stepped forward.

"Because you were thick enough to mess with that cyborg, now your life has been sworn upon the Devil's Eye, so that means your fate will be forever interlocked with the Eye!"

Negaduck stared back blankly, then quickly regained his composure.  He leaned forward angrily.

"So!"

She leaned forward as well.

"So!"

Their beaks were an inch apart and their eyes locked.  Electricity seemed to pass between them as two tempers met their match.

Refusing to watch World War III break out for a second time in less than twenty-four hours, Darkwing interjected.

"That's all well and good miss…um…"

"Gadwall," she stated, "Aviana Gadwall."

"Miss Gadwall," Darkwing continued, "but how do you know that?  That Eye thingy is a very classified artifact being delivered to a very classified organization.  I don't – "

"Oh yeah, real classified.  That cyborg just blew up a dock and flew over a city, so no one's bound to notice," Aviana interrupted sarcastically, then added, "God I hate cyborgs."

Negaduck raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, I don't think – "

"We know you don't think, Darkdung," Negaduck quipped.

"_As I was saying_," Darkwing said with an edge of irritation in his voice, "what gives you the authority on this Demon's Eye?"

"_Devil's _Eye, thank you very much," Aviana growled, "and I'm an authority because I worked with a team that studied it for years.  We've been all over the world hunting it down, so I know every little detail about that 'thingy'."

"Well, if you guys are so enthralled with it, where's the rest of the Devil's Eye fan club?" Darkwing questioned haughtily. 

Aviana's eyes hardened and she bared her teeth.  Leaning forward so she hovered right in Darkwing's face, she seethed, "_They couldn't make it_."

Darkwing gulped and tugged at the neck of his shirt.

"Well, heh heh, sorry they uh, can't be with us, right now, at this moment, heh heh," Darkwing sputtered.

As his opposite withered under the duckette's glare, Negaduck grinned in spite of himself.

Putting on a brave face, Darkwing straightened and faced the duckette.

"So, what are you waiting for?  Tell me about this ominous orb!"

"Fine."  Aviana took a deep breath.  "The Devil's Eye is a cursed object that has the ability to encase the immortal soul of any being in limbo.  It is the worst possible punishment; the soul can never find salvation.  The Devil's Eye itself can also bring punishment.  Any vow proclaimed by the current bearer of the Devil's Eye, or any vow that has something to do with it, will come to pass – like what that cyborg said about you guys – unless the orb is destroyed."

Aviana was rewarded with blank stares.  Darkwing and Negaduck quickly glanced at one another, then continued to stare at her.

Aviana rolled her eyes, "The Devil's Eye steals souls and whatever the cyborg said is gonna come true."

Darkwing thought for a moment, then questioned, "So when Taurus Bulba said…wait…what?"

Aviana opened her mouth to speak but Negaduck interjected.

"According to her stupid legend, if the damn thing isn't obliterated, then we're both gonna have a bad day!  What don't you understand, idiot?!" he snapped.

Aviana eyed Negaduck in a half admiring half aggravated manner, then added, "He's right.  Everyone the cyborg mentioned is involved with the Devil's Eye now.  When Bulba said that you and everyone you hold dear will be destroyed, one way or another that's going to happen.  And you, Negaduck, he said you were going to suffer.  Unless of course, the Devil's Eye is annihilated before any of this can happen."

"Fine then.  I'll just get the Hell outta here and I'll never have to deal with any of this crap ever again!"  Negaduck cried.

"You can't do that!  You're involved now – we all are!  Don't you see, none of us can escape it!  Your lives were sworn on it by the cyborg.  The power of the Devil's Eye is serious.  You'll see what I mean in the future.  Your fate is tied in with this thing for good."  Aviana declared.

"Not a problem," Darkwing replied, "this valiant vigilante will vanquish the villain and…get the Devil's Eye.  Piece of cake."

"Yeah, and judging by the way you dropped the thing and the bull flew away with it, you should have no problem," Negaduck quipped.

Darkwing's face quickly became indignant.

"I trounced Taurus Bulba and had the Devil's Eye safely in my possession, but _someone _had to screw things up and try to take it for himself!"

"Hey, I got there first, whose fault is it that you had to pull that justice crap and baby those eggmen!"

"Well it's a good thing I did, seeing as how Bulba was going to blow your tail feathers to smithereens!  I saved your life!"

"I had everything under control!"

"Yeah it sure looked like it!"

"THAT'S IT!  I'M SICK OF LETTING YOU BREATHE!"

Negaduck lunged and grabbed his nemesis by the throat.  Not going down without a fight, Darkwing retaliated and did the same.

 Meanwhile, Aviana watched as the two mallards attempted to strangle one another.  Finally, she lost her temper.

"Oh for Chrissake!"

She grabbed each one by the backs of their turtlenecks and ripped them apart.   They each took a second to catch their breath, and them tried to lunge again.  This time, Aviana stood between them.

"You two are the most immature ducks I've ever had the misfortune to meet!  That Bulba guy doesn't have to worry about killing you guys because you'll do it for him!"

Darkwing and Negaduck shot daggers at each other from opposite sides of the duckette.

"Now listen to me, um, who are you?"

Darkwing gasped, shocked and appalled.

"I'm Darkwing Duck!  I'm the terror that flaps in the night!  I'm a world renowned defeater of evil, and you've never heard of me?!" he cried.

"No," Aviana said flatly, and Negaduck sniggered.  "Anyway, Darkwing, I'd be willing to help you in any way possible to take down this Taurus Bulba character and retrieve the Eye."

Negaduck's impression of her suddenly took a dramatic plunge.  If he had been irked by her before, he loathed her now.

"Well, your knowledge of the Devil's Eye would come in handy.  I'll take that offer Miss Gadwall.  Here," Darkwing retrieved a small, electronic watch from his pocket and gave it to Aviana.  "take this.  It's a communicator.  I can contact you whenever I get any info on the whereabouts of Taurus Bulba, or vice versa."

"Sounds good to me," she replied, strapping on the watch.

Negaduck rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm glad to see that the do-good duo is getting along so swell.  Now, if you would please excuse me while I go retch."

The black-masked mallard turned and walked away.  Behind him Aviana called, "You'll be back!"

Negaduck stopped and clenched his fists as his blood pressure skyrocketed.  He shook his head and stormed away, muttering, "We'll see about that."

Suddenly Darkwing realized he was letting Negaduck just walk away.  He leapt forward to pursue him, but a large bear jumped in his path.

"Vhere is you going?" Gryzlikoff demanded.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going after that conniving convict.  You know, I saved his life, and he didn't even bother to thank me?" Darkwing said.

Gryzlikoff's eyebrows rose.

"Really?" he questioned sarcastically.  

"Yeah.  Some ducks…" Darkwing paused, and realization dawned on him. "Oh uh, Gryz, thanks before for your help before."

Gryzlikoff smiled slightly.

"You velcome, Darkving, now – "

"'Scuse me Gryz, I need to go after him."

Darkwing tried to get around Gryzlikoff, but the bear stepped in front of him.

"No.  You is going vit me to explain to headquarters how you lost dee artifact."

"I lost it!" Darkwing raged, "Well I didn't see you exactly leaping to save it!"

"Fine!  Ve both take blame, ve both go to SHUSH."

As he stood on the dock, Darkwing abruptly became aware of he bumps and bruises he had sustained in the fight with the Eggmen.  His entire body throbbed with pain, and each tiny movement became a gigantic effort.  The effect was intensified by the growing realization that the one person he truly loathed was back in town.

"Look Gryz, it's been a long night.  I'll come to SHUSH in the morn – no, afterno…evening.  Now, Miss Gadwall…"

Darkwing turned to say goodbye, but she was gone.  Shaking his head, the mallard headed towards his motorcycle, the Ratcatcher.  He threw off the nets, boxes, and other junk used to disquise it and hopped on.  With his helmet and the ignition on, he gunned the engine, hit the gas, and sped off into the empty streets of St. Canard.

*~*~*~*

Negaduck trudged through a dark alley leading to his hideout.  He groaned, feeling a serious headache on the rise.  As he continued to walk, he began to wonder.  If he was truly an infamous villain, why was he walking down a malodorous alley to a desecrated hideout lacking in running water and electricity?  And on top of that, he had a psychotic chick preaching about all this Devil's Eye crap.  Was it true?  Was he really doomed to suffer?

Negaduck stopped and shook his head fiercely.  

"Man, I need sleep," he mumbled.

He was overanalyzing things.  There was no stupid curse, and if he was lucky he'd never have to see _her_ again.

With that thought, Negaduck almost yelped in surprise as Aviana fell out of the shadows and landed silently before him.

"What the Hell do you want," he snapped grumpily.

"Glad to see you're in a good mood," she retorted, "I need to talk to you."

Pushing past her, Negaduck replied, "I don't fraternize with happy heroes."

Aviana blocked his path.

"Sheesh, I'd expect someone like you would spot a double-cross from a mile away.  I lied, stupid.  It'll be easier to get what I want with him on my side.  And I need you on my side as well."

"Isn't that nice.  So now I can just magically assume that you're not lying to me too."

Aviana rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "Oh no, I would never lie to a supervillian.  It's much too scary."

Negaduck glared at her, but responded, "Well, you scored a few points in my book for double-crossing the dope, but I don't take sides with freaky, idol worshipping chicks.  I should just kill you right now and be done with this."

Aviana reached forward and grabbed Negaduck by his turtleneck.  Pulling him up so he was an inch from her face, she whispered, "Go ahead.  What are you waiting for?"

Negaduck tried desperately to think of something sardonic to snap back, but his mind seemed wiped of all thought.  Their eyes met again, and for the first time he realized that he was eye level with her.  He was surprised that he had not noticed it before; very few in St. Canard were his height.

His eyes narrowed, and he asked suspiciously, "You're not from around here, are you?"

Aviana grinned slyly and released his shirt.

"No, I guess not.  Where I come from, big time criminals don't hang around alleys that smell like fish."

Negaduck scowled.

"Shut up."

Still grinning, Aviana continued, "Okay, listen.  I'm here for the Devil's Eye, nothing else.  That cyborg is obviously powerful, and I doubt I can get it on my own.  I was watching you guys before, and from what I saw, Darkwing seems like the type who would turn in a hundred bucks he found on the street to the police.  Now, whether you like it or not, I was serious when I said you guys were involved.  Darkwing could very well get the Devil's Eye, and I'm afraid that he'll hand it over to that 'classified organization' of his.  You, on the other hand…"

"What?" Negaduck said, eyeing her skeptically.

"You seem more like the…underhanded type.  And you seem to have a certain aversion to that Boy Scout as well.  If you help me get the Devil's Eye, I'll leave Darkwing right where you want him.  Well, that and I have an entire family inheritance I won't be using.  You can have that too."

Negaduck played with the option in his head.  Having Darkwing on his knees was tempting indeed, but he really didn't feel like having some whacko following him around and telling him what to do.

"Sorry.  Too busy," he said shortly, and tried again to push past her.

"Doing what!  Robbing banks?" 

Negaduck gulped down his surprise at her lucky guess and stared at her fiercely.

"No!  Of course not!  I'm doing…other stuff!"

"I see," Aviana muttered, raising an eyebrow, "so what do you plan on doing when that cyborg has you at gunpoint again?'

"Look, I don't do group projects.  Been there, done that, don't work.  Besides, I don't know what you're on, but I refuse to believe all this 'involvement' nonsense.  If luck is on my side, I'll never have to see you again!"

"It would be rewarding not to have to see you again either, but unfortunately I have to."

The two had another intense stare-off before Negaduck finally turned to walk away.

"It's been a pleasure, sweetheart…NOT!"

"See you soon Fuzzy."

With his back facing her, Negaduck glowered.  Gritting his teeth, he stormed off angrily.  Making sure no one was watching, he entered Billy-Bob's Fish n' Chips.  He heaved his hat at the wall, not caring whether it landed on the hook or not.  The mallard unbuttoned his yellow jacket and tossed it on the floor.  He peeled off his mask, and laid it gently on the table, and threw himself onto his dirty mattress.  

"Man she's annoying," he commented, and was out like a light.

*~*~*~*

A few miles away in a St. Canard slum, Aviana kicked opened her apartment door.  She walked into her room and with a violent slam, she snarled, "Man he's annoying."

The faded wallpaper was peeling from the walls and the sound of little creatures scampering under the floorboards could be heard.  A cracked mirror and a cheap vanity dwelled on one side of the room while an undersized, ratty bed sat on the other.  On the opposite wall was a small window adorned with bars.  The apartment was a wreck, but Aviana did not care.  It was cheap and she wouldn't be here long anyway.

She kicked off her boots and pulled off her long-sleeved black chemise and replaced it with a loose-fitting t-shirt.  She glanced momentarily at herself in the dirty mirror.  A tired, angry face looked back at her.  She ran a brush through her dark hair a few times and tossed it back on the vanity.  People had always told her that she had good looks, but that did not matter to her.  Hand-to-hand combat was much more interesting.

Without changing out of her black cargo pants Aviana laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.  She mentally prepared herself for her nightly ordeal and slowly drifted off to sleep.

*~*~*~*

The Ratcatcher hummed monotonously as Darkwing hurtled down St. Canard's vacant streets.  Desperately trying to keep alert, the mallard concentrated on his bed waiting for him at home, so nice and warm and soft…

Darkwing Duck's mind had been on the verge on drifting away when he noticed that he had instinctively slowed down.  His eyes narrowed and he glanced around, then he felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach when he observed where he had stopped.

He sat in front of a decently sized Victorian condo that seemed out of place in the huge city.  Lightening flashed ominously above the house, giving it a striking resemblance to a haunted mansion.  Darkwing felt an urge to go inside…to tell the resident that he didn't mean what he said…

Darkwing's pride got the better of him and he shook his head.  Gunning the engine, he sped towards Audubon Bay Bridge.

Minutes later, after a quick stop at the Tower, Darkwing spun into his living room.  In a zombie-like state he trudged through the quiet house and up the stairs.  Without bothering to change out of his clothes he collapsed on his bed.  Through the window he could see gentle pinks and soft yellows beginning to appear in the dawn sky.  The deep blue hues slowly faded into oblivion and a sliver of sunlight peaked over the St. Canard skyline.  The new day had arrived, as it always would.  

With an ominous thought of what he had to tell Gosalyn tomorrow, Drake's eyes closed and he fell asleep.

*~*~*~*

Dusk was approaching in Nega-St. Canard.  The setting sun illuminated the city, which itself seemed to be on the brink of making a dramatic downward spiral.  The authorities were losing their validity, while in the mean time a crime wave was gaining force.  Everyday was a continual petty crime spree, from grocery store hold ups to old lady muggings. Lately, however, it had been quiet.  Too quiet.  

_Eight-year-old Drake Mallard sat high atop the oak tree in his back yard, clutching a long stick.  Across from him sat a hissing, wide-eyed tabby cat that belonged to his neighbor.  _

_"C'mon kitty…I'm not gonna do anything."_

_He leaned forward and poked the terrified feline, who in turn cried out and swatted the stick out of the boy's hand._

_"Hey!  I'm just tryin' to help you get down!  Sheesh!"_

_Suddenly Drake heard noises from inside his house.  Whipping around, he peered through the branches and watched his kitchen window.  He could see familiar silhouettes moving about within.  His parents were home!  But that was funny, they never came home this early.  _

_Under normal circumstances Drake should not have been in his backyard.  He should, in fact, have been at St. Canard Elementary Daycare.  However, if there was one place he hated more than school itself, it was the bullying, get-made-fun-of-every-stinking-day daycare.  So, he simply went out the door when no one looking and, well, went home._

_"Jim, no, we can't – "_

_"Yes we can, Kathie.  We've got to.  You know what happens when we don't obey the orders.  Besides, this one is big.  Really big."_

_"Listen, not tonight.  Give it some time."_

_"It's gotta be tonight.  Tad's not a patient guy, he's gonna want the hit tonight."_

_Drake observed his parents with a puzzled look on his face.  For one thing, he hadn't the slightest idea what they were talking about, but also, he had never seen his father so emotional.  He seemed stressed, nervous, but excited all at the same time.  Jim was never home really.  Drake's mother told him it was for "business", but when Drake questioned just what the business was, they ignored him.  But more than that, he wanted to impress his father.  No matter what he did, Jim never seemed to be happy with him.  Drake's most desperate was to make his father – and mother – proud. _

_"Listen, Kathie, We're going through with it.  There's no turning back now."_

_Kathie's sparkling brown eyes focused hard on her husband's black ones.  _

_"Okay, if you're sure.  Get the stuff and meet me in the car."_

_Drake's eyes lit up.  They didn't know he was home!  He could jump down and surprise them right now, and maybe then they'd be happy!  _

_Drake hopped down from the tree, but paused.  If they knew he was here, then they probably wouldn't leave the house.  And if they didn't leave the house, then he'd never know what they were up to._

_Suddenly, his face brightened as if a light bulb had suddenly been turned on.  Why not just go with them?  What was stopping him?  It sounded exciting and dangerous, two ideas he loved.  _

_With a quick check to make sure no one was looking, Drake tiptoed forward towards the family station wagon.  He opened the back door and crawled inside on the floor, wedging himself between the front passenger seat and the back one.  A few minutes later, his parents entered the car, and the two of them drove off with their stowaway son right behind them._

Negaduck's eyes snapped open and he took a sharp intake of air.  Now wide-awake, he pushed himself up, and his mind reeled.  He had not thought about _that _in a long time.  It had been dormant in the back of his mind for years, why did that memory suddenly come up in his dreams now?  But then again, that's all it was, a memory, right?  And at least it hadn't gone any further…

Negaduck closed his eyes and shook away the unpleasant thought.  Trembling slightly, he turned and looked out the broken window.  The sky was a perfect baby blue, complete with a tinge of foreboding.

NOTE:  As fate would have it, Northeastern United States has entered the next Ice Age, so midterms and my paper were temporarily postponed (by the way, thanks GreenLeoFiend for the support ;) ).  Anyway, I still have to take midterms and write the paper, which sucks, but yeah well.  I know this chapter was a little slow, but it's setting up for the rest of the story.  I'll try and update as soon as possible.  Thanks everyone!


	6. Pandemonium on Plumage Street

Disclaimer:  You know the drill:  Aviana's mine, all others are not.  I said it, it's all good.

Kudos to my reviewers, you really make me want to keep writing the fic.  Many thanks!  (GreenLeoFiend:  Just 52 more days til spring, just 52 more days til spring…)

BBBRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGG

Drake Mallard opened one lazy eye and gazed at his alarm clock.  

"4:37 pm, that's way too early," he grumbled into his pillow.

"Alright!  Gosalyn Mallard, super-awesome-undefeated-zombie-slayer!" came an elated voice from downstairs.

Drake's stomach did a flip-flop as he remembered last night's events.  Taurus Bulba's voice still echoed in his head, "…_and soon I will bring upon you not only _your_ destruction, but also that of everyone you hold dear.  Especially…G_oo_salyn_."

As he slowly pushed himself out of bed he was also sharply reminded of last night's spat with the Eggmen.  The mallard tossed on his robe and dragged all of his aches and pains downstairs.

Gosalyn was standing on the couch, her fingers flying expertly over the controller of her Quackstation.  All of her energy was focused on the television and her target.

"Yeeeeeeeee-es!  Another zombie sucks eggs!" she cried with a triumphant leap in the air.

Out of the corner of her eye Gosalyn noticed her dad plodding downstairs and turning into the kitchen.

"Long night?" she questioned automatically, still solely focused on defeating her next undead opponent.  

Drake grunted in reply, and walked into the kitchen.  His loyal sidekick and closest friend, Launchpad McQuack, sat at the table fighting a losing battle with a microwave.  Noticing the quizzical look on Drake's face, he commented, "Who knew you can't put aluminum foil in here?" and continued to take various parts out of the fallen appliance.

Drake moved without a word over to the counter and busied himself with making coffee.  Launchpad lifted his head out of the microwave.

"What's up, DW?  You're quiet this morning.  Was it something last night?"

Drake turned and took a deep breath.

"That mechanical menace, Taurus Bulba, is back.  Except this time, it's worse if that's possible.  He's got a hold of the Devil's Eye."

"Devil's Eye?" Launchpad asked in a worried tone.

"It's that thing SHUSH sent me to watch last night.  Things got out of hand," Darkwing grimaced, "and now Bulba has it.  And then this Aviana person claims it's got mystical powers and what not.  Except she's also willing to help us, so don't be surprised if she comes up on the communicator.  I don't know whether to believe all of the curse stuff, but…"

"Don't worry DW, you've stopped Taurus Bulba twice, and you can do it again," Launchpad said reassuringly.  "Just keep in mind what happened last time.  Gosalyn's gotta – "

"I know, I know," Drake said wearily.  "I've gotta go to SHUSH and explain what happened.  When I come back I'll make sure to tell her."

He poured his coffee and drained it in one gulp.

"I'll see you when I get back Launchpad," he said, and headed towards his blue chair.

Drake sat down and punched the old statue, but not before a, "Eat flamethrower, zombie scum!"

*~*~*~*

The clock read 5:57 pm as Drake Mallard, now dressed as Darkwing Duck, spun back into his living room.  He was glad to be home – it had not been a very pleasant visit to S.H.U.S.H. headquarters.  Apparently, the fact that Taurus Bulba was back combined with the fact thathe had the Devil's Eye was _not _a good thing.

Gosalyn was sitting on the couch, watching TV and munching on a bowl full of cereal covered in a mound of sugar.  

"Glad to see you're getting your daily amount of glucose," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it was either this or have Launchpad cook," she said with a mouthful of cereal.  

Launchpad walked in the room carrying a bowl of cereal himself, smiling guiltily.  

His sidekick gave him a meaningful look, and Darkwing knew it was now or never.  He turned to his daughter and cleared his throat.

"Gos, honey, I have something I need to talk to you about."

Fear washed over Gosalyn's face.

"You didn't talk to anyone from the government about a certain hoax, did you?" she asked quickly.

"No…" Darkwing answered and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, okay," Gosalyn breathed, then she looked back at him with a genial face, "what is it?"

Darkwing Duck looked back at his daughter, the person he loved most, and his heart jumped up to his throat.  She looked so happy and innocent, well, sort of innocent; she didn't need a certain menace haunting her again.

"Well, you see Gos, it's, um, it's…"

The Six o'clock News came on the TV, and Tom Lockjaw's polished face came on the screen.

"_Tonight on St. Canard evening news, the owner's of the Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Bakery claim that a mysterious cake located in a private room _– "

Suddenly a person off-camera handed Tom a sheet, and his eyes widened.

"_This just in!  It seems that convicted felon, Taurus Bulba_ – "

"WHAT?!" Gosalyn cried and leaped to her feet, her bowl of cereal scattering over the floor.

Darkwing cringed and smacked his forehead.

"Yep, that would be it."

" – _has returned to St. Canard, and is now on a rampage on south Plumage Street_…"

"He's back?" Gosalyn gasped, but secretly, she was ecstatic.  This was exactly what she had been waiting for.  Ever since his last visit, she had been honing her skills with her bow and arrow, her weapon of choice when in the guise of Quiverwing Quack.  She promised herself that she would be ready for him the next time; he was, in fact, the ground on which Darkwing planted his crime fighting feet.  If she could stop Taurus Bulba, then Darkwing would _have _to see what a competent crime fighter she was.

"I'm afraid so, that's what I was about to tell you.  This is serious Gos, and you know your safety is at risk if you try anything foolish.  I'm being honest with you this time, so you must promise me that you will do what I tell you and stay here, where Bulba can't find you," Darkwing stated gravely.

"But Dad!  I'm almost twelve, I can handle him!" Gosalyn cried out indignantly.

Darkwing smiled, and stroked her head.

"I admire your bravery sweetie, but there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and it would be dumb to get killed over – "

"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Gosalyn shouted.

"I didn't say you were!  I'm just saying that it would be foolish getting killed chasing after such a dangerous criminal like Bulba!  He almost killed me, and I'm an adult!"

Gosalyn's green eyes hardened.  

"I don't care, I won't get killed!  I'm ready for him!  I've been practicing!" she cried.

 "Gosalyn, you're not invincible, and you're too young for this!  I refuse to let you get hurt!"

"That's not fair!  You're just scared I'll mess up!" Gosalyn yelled angrily.

Darkwing scowled and shouted, "See, that's exactly the attitude that shows me that you're not ready!  Now listen up young lady; you will not leave this house, understand?"

"Whatever," Gosalyn mumbled.

"Don't you 'whatever' me little missy!  Promise me that you'll stay here!" 

"Fine, I promise," Gosalyn muttered, making sure to cross her fingers behind her back.

"Good," Darkwing nodded, then turned to his sidekick.  "C'mon LP, off to Plumage Street!"

They hurried over to the dual blue chairs and sat down.  With a sharp stare at his daughter, Darkwing once again punched the worn statue and disappeared in a blur.  Gosalyn waited until he was completely gone before dashing up the stairs to get her disguise.

*~*~*~*

The sound of pool sharks, gangsters, and drunks created the atmosphere in the sleazy bar.  The smell of sweat and smoke hung heavily in the air.  Harsh words and the crack of a broken jaw sounded, but no one even batted an eye.  Negaduck sat on a stool, drumming his fingers impatiently while awaiting his drink.  The stools next to him were empty; the patrons always decided to keep their distance from the ill-tempered mallard.

At the end of the bar sat a battered radio, buzzing with a tinny-sounding newscast. 

"_Tonight on St. Canard evening radio news, the owner's of the Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Bakery claim that a mysterious cake located in a private room_ – _hold on_."

Negaduck raised his eyebrows as the sound of papers shuffling was heard, followed by, "_This just in!  It seems that convicted felon, Taurus Bulba_ _has returned to St. Canard, and is now on a rampage on south Plumage Street.  He is said to be more dangerous than the infamous Negaduck, and citizens are urged not to – _"

"WHAT!" Negaduck bellowed, "THEY THINK THAT MECHANICAL BULL IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN ME?!"

"_Taurus Bulba has now been upgraded to public enemy number one, so extreme caution is necessary._"

Negaduck promptly jumped off his stool and strutted over to the radio, then proceeded to hurl it against the adjacent wall.  The radio cracked and spewed its parts on the floor, and the enraged mallard stormed toward the exit.

"It's time St. Canard learned the meaning of dangerous," he growled.

Negaduck flung open the swinging doors and left the bar, and not one person even turned their head.

*~*~*~*

The Ratcatcher hurtled down the busy streets of St. Canard.  Darkwing Duck weaved in and out of traffic, intent on getting to the scene of the rampage as soon as possible.  Launchpad gripped the edge of the sidecar fearfully.

"Say DW, why do you think – whoa!" Launchpad cried out as they narrowly missed sideswiping a car, then continued, "why do you think Taurus Bulba's terrorizing people?  Isn't he out to get – yikes! – you and Gosalyn?"

"That's what I don't understand LP.  Bulba's not one to draw massive public attention, unless he's trying to draw me in…"

Darkwing turned the corner onto Plumage Street, where he and Launchpad were greeted with utter chaos.

Vehicles honked and frantically swerved, the red and blue lights of the police cars blinked rapidly, with more units on the way.  Hordes of eggmen swarmed throughout the street, coming to blows with various police officers.  Citizens who could not navigate the street in their cars tried to brave it on foot.  One terrified young man found himself cornered by three threatening Eggmen.  He trembled violently and backed himself as far as he could against a wall as the eggmen advanced.

Not one to forget his civic duty, Darkwing rose to the occasion.  Leaping off the Ratcatcher he cried, "C'mon LP, it's time to save that solitary citizen!  Let's get dangerous!"

Launchpad dashed toward the eggmen.

"Hey, uh, fellas, over here!"

The three drones turned around and stared at the pilot.  On the fire escape located above the situation, Darkwing took advantage of the diversion.  With the eggmen's backs turned, he fired his rope-loaded gasgun.  The rope wound itself around the frightened citizen's waist, and Darkwing hoisted him up to safety.

By this time the eggmen judged Launchpad as a non-threat, and turned around.  They were momentarily puzzled by their victim's absence, they once again turned as Launchpad cried, "Hey guys!"

He hurled an empty garbage can at the drones, knocking them into submission.  

Up on the fire escape with the young man watching him warily, Darkwing called down, "Good job LP!"  He then looked at the scene, surveying the circumstances.  From his vantage point, he could see the eggmen were fending off the police.  He looked harder, and he noticed that the eggmen had formed a rough circle around an open manhole. 

Darkwing leapt to the ground and shouted to his partner.

"Taurus Bulba must be in the sewer!  The Eggmen are blocking the police from getting in!  We've got to get around them!"

They closed in on the turmoil and were instantly attacked by a group of eggmen.  As the two fought, Darkwing cried out desperately, "I don't know how we can get past these guys!"

With that, an exceptionally large eggman hurled an equally large police officer into the air.  The airborne officer landed on top of the assaulting eggmen.  They collapsed under his colossal weight, and Darkwing and Launchpad stared in shock.  Darkwing quickly regained his temerity.

"C'mon LP, not a moment to lose!"

They dashed towards the manhole.  Leaping over the fallen officer Darkwing tipped him his hat with an amiable, "Thank you sir!" and the two leapt into the hole.

Climbing down the ladder, they hit the platform.  The sewer was gloomy and humid, rats scurried about, and it echoed with the pandemonium from above.  Darkwing glanced around, trying to assess the situation.  The darkness was foreboding, like it was practically telling them to go back and never return.  The dank sewer was issuing its challenge, and Darkwing eagerly accepted it.

"Follow me," he said, and his voice echoed eerily off the moldy walls.  With a nervous breath, Launchpad followed.  

The two crept through the chilly passages as the river of sewage sloshed noisily beside them.  Like the other night, the entire moment put Darkwing on edge.  Except this time, he felt confidence in knowing Taurus Bulba could not surprise him.  And now both his legs were intact.  He was ready.

"Keep your eyes peeled for clues Launchpad.  Even the minutest detail could lead us to Bulba."

Suddenly there was an unearthly whooshing noise, like all of the air had been sucked out of the sewer.  Then came a brilliant, pure white glow on the opposite wall.  The glow ended, and all was quiet except for the sound of running water.

"I guess that counts as a clue," Launchpad mused.

Darkwing glanced at him for a moment before rushing forward.

"C'mon LP!"

They raced down the passage and turned the corner.  Darkwing and Launchpad found themselves at the edge of a huge drop-off.  While the water cascaded downward, a vast metal grating spanned the gap all the way to the other side.  In the middle of the grating stood Taurus Bulba, holding the Devil's Eye, surrounded by mounds of lifeless eggmen lying on the ground.  

Darkwing stared at the disturbing scene and his beak dropped in astonishment.  Taurus Bulba gave him a sick, twisted grin.

"Greetings, Darkwing Duck.  I see you have brought your friend.  Ah, and here is Darkwing Decoy."

Darkwing and Launchpad turned to see Negaduck strutting forward, looking thoroughly irate.

"That's Negaduck to you, big boy…whoa, what did I miss?"

"What are you doing here?" Darkwing questioned, half amazed, half annoyed.

"None of your business, Darkwing Dolt," Negaduck snarled.

Comprehension dawned on him, and Darkwing grinned.

"What, did Mr. Bulba take Mr. Negaduck's number one spot?" he asked in a singsong voice.

Negaduck thrust his beak aggressively into Darkwing's face.

"If you don't shove it right now –" 

Launchpad tapped them both nervously on their shoulders.

"Uh, DW, I uh, think you should take a look at this," he sputtered.

Darkwing and Negaduck turned and looked over to Taurus Bulba.  The eggmen around him began twitching to life, and slowly began pushing themselves up.  They seemed to move in a strange manner; all fluidity of motion was gone and replaced with brute force.  

As they all finally stood up, Darkwing was astounded by what he saw.


	7. A Sidekick's Duty

Disclaimer:  All characters except Aviana belong to Disney and are used without permission.  I wonder what Disney would say if someone _did _call them and asked if they could be used in a fanfic?

Thank you my reviewers, and keep on reviewing!  You guys are great!

 *~*~*~*

"The Balance has shifted, warped sick and twisted

Grabbing at angels when I fall

Because I am more than this idol, endless recital

For all my demons to applaud

I am free"

BOYSETSFIRE

*~*~*~*

An utter chill rippled through the sewer.  It took away all warmth and security, and in its stead put fear and apprehension.  The air seemed colder, the sound of the running water seemed magnified a hundred times.  The chill made the masked mallard's feathers stand on end and his bones rattle.

The ghastly sight before him was responsible for said chill.  On the large grating stood the hordes of eggmen.  Except they no longer resembled eggmen.  If fact, they no longer resembled the living.

Their now ratty cheek feathers had turned an ashen gray, and their beaks were now a mix of sickly green and pale orange.  When they exhaled, their breath escaped in a wispy vapor as it would in the dead of winter, even though it was currently late spring.  Their bodies looked terribly cadaverous, and they hunched over slightly.  Their arms dangled lifelessly as they slowly swayed back and forth.  With the exception of a few grunts, they were deathly silent.

"Are…are they, _dead_?" Launchpad questioned in a shaky whisper.

"I don't know," Darkwing whispered back.

With his enhanced hearing the cyborg picked up their conversation easily.  

"They are not dead," he stated slyly, "they have simply been made better."

"Huh?!" Darkwing and Negaduck cried in unison.

"You see, the eggmen and I were having difficulty in functioning together.  It seemed to them that I was too…harsh, and it seemed to me that they were too pathetic.  So, I found the answer to both of our problems," Bulba explained calmly.

"How could this possibly make them better?" Darkwing questioned bewilderedly.  

"You will understand in a moment," Bulba answered.  Then his eyes focused on his drones.  

"Eggmen!" he shouted in a strong, commanding voice, "Attack, and bring them to me alive!"

With an uncanny roar the horde of eggmen lunged forward at Darkwing, Launchpad, and Negaduck.  Darkwing quickly leapt to the side and tripped the first eggman that encountered him, but soon a dozen more were on him.  With his famous incomprehensible cry, he launched into an impressive web kick, and the eggman hit the ground.  Within the moment, the drone was back on his feet, not stunned for an instant.  Even though he was roughly Darkwing's size, the eggman grabbed the mallard with one arm and lifted him up as thought he were nothing but a feather.  Darkwing struggled for a moment and then gave his opponent a swift but hard kick in the ribs.  There was a sickening crack, but the eggman did not even flinch.  He merely tightened his grip on Darkwing and began walking toward Taurus Bulba.

"I gotcha DW!"

Launchpad crashed his elbow down of the eggman's helmet.  He growled and released Darkwing, who sent him flying with a double-footed kick. 

"Ha!  No one messes with the mighty masked mallard!  Good going, LP!"

"What's with these guys, they don't seem to feel a thing!" Launchpad cried as the eggman stood up once more.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be anything promising," Darkwing replied.

Suddenly he felt a bump from behind, and Darkwing whipped around.  His mirror image had backed into him, trying to fend off assaulting eggmen.

"I've had it, I'm sick of these guys!" Negaduck yelled, pulling out his knife.

He swiftly gutted the closest eggman in the stomach.  The drone grunted and clutched his abdomen.  Darkwing threw his nemesis a disgusted look.

"Ha ha ha!" Negaduck laughed mockingly, dusting off his hands.

The drone's head jerked and he looked up at Negaduck, who froze.  The eggman yanked the blade from his stomach, and it dripped a thin, black liquid.  He then tossed the knife on the floor casually, and looked up at the three stunned ducks.

There was moment's pause, before – 

"YYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Darkwing, Negaduck, and Launchpad all cried out in terror.  Negaduck turned and ran, followed shortly by Darkwing and Launchpad.  The dozens of eggmen thundered after them, their footsteps creating a monstrous clamor in the sewer.

"We need to get reinforcements!" Darkwing shouted in a panicked voice.

"Like who?" Launchpad shouted back.

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T CARE! WE JUST NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Darkwing bellowed.

They bowled over eggmen in their flight, and Darkwing could hear Taurus Bulba's shouts behind him.  They reached a fork in the passageways; Darkwing and Launchpad ran left, Negaduck ran right.

Negaduck sprinted down the sewer, a group of eggmen hot on his trail.  As he ran further down the passage, it became increasingly dark.  He turned a corner and flattened himself against the wall.  As he had hoped, the eggmen dashed past him.  Negaduck sighed with relief, but it was short lived.  In the darkness he could hear footsteps coming his way.

He tensed and whipped out his chainsaw from the abyss behind his back, shouting in a threatening voice, "Who's there?  Come any closer, and turn you into pulp!"

"Calm down Fuzzy," came a familiar voice from the shadows.  

Aviana came forward and stopped next to Negaduck.  Pushing his chainsaw aside she asked, "So what's going on down here in the magical kingdom of fun?"

"You tell me!" Negaduck barked, pointing to the corpselike eggmen coming their way.

Aviana squinted in the darkness, and then her eyes widened.

"No way!  I've never actually _seen_ this happen, but I think this is what I told you about before!  The cyborg must have stolen their souls!"

Negaduck threw her an inquiring look.

"What?"

"It's – LOOK OUT!"

Aviana grabbed Negaduck by the collar and pulled him down just as two eggmen lunged at them.  The drones collided against the wall above them with a sickening crunch, and they fell to the floor.  Aviana and Negaduck got to their feet, but the eggmen were still on the floor, their necks twisted in strange shapes.

"Ew," Aviana commented, sticking out her tongue.

Suddenly the two eggmen got to their feet, and with several disgusting cracks and crunches, they straightened their necks.

"UGH!" Aviana and Negaduck cried out simultaneously.

The eggmen snarled and made to grab them, but Aviana beat them to the punch – literally.  With quick strike in the jaw for one and a strong kick in the stomach for the other, she bought the split-second chance for escape.  Aviana and Negaduck bolted down the passage.

"You're the say-so on this Devil's Eye stuff – how are we supposed to beat them?" Negaduck asked while running, not mentioning his admiration for her previous stunt.

"I'm not sure," Aviana answered, "All I know is that they can only truly be stopped if the Devil's Eye is smashed.  But for now, they've basically got phenomenal strength and abilities."

"Oh isn't that wonderful," Negaduck replied sarcastically.

As they tore down the sewer, they could hear loud noises echoing from the left.

"What's that?" Aviana wondered aloud.

"It's probably just Dipwing and his stupid – hey!"

Aviana swiftly started down the left passage, but Negaduck paused.  Over the past two days, his every encounter with his opposite had led to disaster.  But then again, as he stood there alone in a sewer with soulless eggmen coming his way, chasing Aviana seemed like a pretty okay decision.  And Negaduck quickly acted on it.

*~*~*~*

Gosalyn Mallard, now in green hat and cape, purple shirt and dark mask, rode down the sidewalks on her skateboard.  For once Quiverwing Quack was alone.  She had attempted to get her sidekick, the Arrow Kid, to come along, but unfortunately Mrs. Muddlefoot decided it was too late for a school night.

Her cape billowed behind her as she temporarily enjoyed the wind in her face.  She sped down the sidewalk and turned south on Plumage Street, where she could see masses of police officers attempting to round up renegade eggmen.  She looked around, trying to figure where Darkwing and Launchpad had gone.  She discovered the Ratcatcher in an alley close by, but no sign of her father and his sidekick.  She ran down the street, making good use of her small stature to avoid eggmen and officers.  She finally stopped and scratched her head.

"Where _are_ they?  How am I supposed to help if I can't even find them!" Gosalyn cried out resentfully.

Suddenly a familiar voice echoed from the open manhole beside her.

"Suck gas, evildoers!"

"Bingo!" Gosalyn shouted happily, and climbed down into the sewer.  

*~*~*~*

Darkwing and Launchpad found themselves once again surrounded by the gruesome eggmen.  They came from every angle, each wan feather and twisted beak bent on capturing the two crime fighters.

In a desperate attempt to subdue them, Darkwing whipped out his gasgun and fired.

"Suck gas, evildoers!"

The cartridge flew through air and struck an eggman on the shoulder.  Red smoke erupted, and Darkwing watched hopefully.  His face fell when the eggmen lumbered through the smoke without even the smallest sneeze or tear.  

Darkwing Duck stepped back; his mind reeled as he tried to figure out what to do.

"Heads up DW!"

Launchpad grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away, and three eggmen landed in the spot where Darkwing had just stood.  

"Phew!  That was close," Darkwing breathed.

As the crime fighter looked at his brave sidekick, he felt a strong surge of guilt.  Here Launchpad was, selflessly fighting a dangerous horde of horrific eggmen, all for the sake of his friend.  For an instant Darkwing's ego deflated, and he realized that the altruistic pilot did not deserve this.

"Launchpad, get out of here and get help, this is my fight, not yours," Darkwing cried guiltily.

"No way DW, I'm your sidekick, and that means it's my duty to stay by your side, and um, well, I don't kick your side, I guess…but I'm you're my best friend too, and I'll stick with ya to the end," Launcpad said valiantly, and finished with a grin.

Darkwing smiled back, swelling with admiration.  However, the touching moment was interrupted when more eggmen closed in, causing Darkwing and Launchpad to be split apart.  

Darkwing fought viciously, kicking and punching like he had the previous night.  The eerie faces of the eggmen surrounded him, grunting and groaning as they tried to get a hold of him.  Outnumbered, Darkwing fell to the ground, and the eggmen pinned him to the floor.

Aviana came to a halt and watched the intense battle going on in the sewer.  Launchpad swung and kicked to no avail as a dozen eggmen clung to him, and Darkwing struggled under his own assailants' weight.  Negaduck's footsteps echoed as he came up behind her.

"We've got to get out of here, there's too many of them!" she said frantically to him.

Suddenly, with several loud _clanks_,Taurus Bulba bounded in.  He raised the Devil's Eye high above him and stared at Launchpad, who returned a very perplexed look.  Taurus Bulba opened his mouth and spoke in a low, booming voice that reverberated throughout the sewer.

"_Kcu dehts nwadyl – _"

Aviana gasped.

"Don't look!" she cried, clapping a hand over Negaduck's eyes and shutting her own.

Still pinned on the ground, Darkwing could not turn his head to witness the strange situation.  He heard Bulba finish in the strange language.

" – _krad!_"

Darkwing heard the same uncanny rushing of air and a bright glow filled the room.  The glow ended, and with a supreme effort Darkwing twisted his body and shook off the eggmen.  He turned around to see both a stange, gossamer haze drift into the Devil's Eye, and his combination sidekick and best friend collapse to the floor.

"LAUNCHPAD!"

*~*~*~*

Quiverwing Quack raced down the passages of the sewer, desperately trying to find the two heroes.  The creepy underground was beginning to put her on edge.  As she frantically searched, she heard a strange whooshing of air followed by a dazzling white glow.  She smiled, knowing that must be where Darkwing and Launchpad were.  She ran forward, and was almost there when she a heart-wrenching "LAUNCHPAD!" ricochet off the walls.  Quiverwing's heart gave a frightened jump and she turned the corner, where she found dozens of freaky-looking eggmen, her father struggling with them, Launchpad laying on the ground, and in the middle of it all, an all too familiar cyborg.

*~*~*~*

Taurus Bulba let out a long, cruel laugh.

"Ah yes Darkwing, the curse of the Devil's Eye is already taking effect.  Your friend is now completely under my control.  Eggmen, release him!"

The eggmen holding him let go, and Darkwing instantly leapt to his feet and clenched his fists.  

"This isn't over yet, you corpulent cow!" Darkwing cried defiantly.

"We will see about that," Bulba hissed.  "Launchpad, stand up!"

The pilot slowly rose to his feet.  His feathers had the same tattered gray look, and his beak the same pale green and orange as the eggmen.  Except this time, without the eggman helmet, Darkwing could see the rest of his features.

Launchpad's usually lively face now looked dead and gaunt.  There were bags under his eyes, and his hair was unkempt.  But worst of all were his eyes.  Instead of the warm, friendly look they usually possessed, they were a complete ghostly, milky white.  As he stared at Darkwing, no recognition came over his pallid face.

Darkwing stared back, utterly horrified.  What had become of his loyal friend?

"Now you will pay for what you have done to me, duck," Taurus seethed.  "Launchpad, bring Darkwing to me!"

The cadaverous pilot lurched towards Darkwing, stretching his arms towards him menacingly.  Darkwing stood his ground.

"Launchpad, it's me!  Darkwing Duck!  You're my sidekick!  I'm your friend!  I'm your bowling partner!" he stammered urgently.

Launchpad growled.  The noise was about ten octaves lower than it should have been, and it echoed as though Darkwing were listening to it from the opposite end of a long tunnel.  Suddenly Launchpad's eyes glowed an alarming red, and he lunged with unnatural speed and strength.  He collided with Darkwing and the masked mallard toppled backwards, his sidekick on top of him.

Launchpad let loose another unearthly growl, and reached for his partner's throat.  Darkwing quickly reacted and grabbed Launchpad's hands with his own, pushing as hard as he could to keep them from latching around his neck.  Launchpad snarled, and Darkwing gritted his teeth, his arms shaking from effort.  The mallard was completely unprepared – a minute ago he believed that nothing would ever come between them.  He never thought it would come down to a fistfight between him and Launchpad, and he desperately did not want to do so. Their eyes met; Darkwing stared into the enraged, grisly face and realized that this could never be his comrade. Launchpad's enhanced strength met with Darkwing's sheer will to live, and the two friends struggled on the damp floor.

On the other side of the room, Quiverwing's heart ripped in half as she watched the two people she trusted the most fight each other for life or death.  Trusting that the evil being on top of her father could never be the Launchpad she knew and loved, she pulled a net arrow from her quiver, aimed, and fired.

Aviana and Negaduck stood to the side and watched, not moving and risking the masses of belligerent eggmen.  As the black-masked mallard watched the scene with mild amusement, he could not help but be reminded of the pilot's counterpart in the Negaverse.  Aviana's voice jerked him out of his reverie abrubtly.

"Hey, who's that?" Aviana asked, noticing Quiverwing Quack on the far side of the room.

"Oh great, it's that rotten kid!" Negaduck cried, smacking his forehead.

The arrow soared through the air, and its aim was true.  It struck Launchpad, and he became ensnared in the released net.  As Launchpad struggled, Darkwing looked up and locked eyes with his terrified daughter.

"Gos – Quiverwing!" he hissed.

"WHAT?!" Taurus Bulba bellowed, and turned to face the pintsize hero.  "And just who might you be?" he asked in a furious tone.

"I, I uh, I'm…" Quiverwing stuttered, but then regained her composure and put on a brave face, "I'm Quiverwing Quack, bozo!"

"Well then, Quiverwing, I think it is time that you learned what happens when you mess with Taurus Bulba!" the bull roared, brandishing his blaster arm.

"Sorry Bulbsy, but we can't stick around for lessons!" Darkwing yelled and he detonated a gas cartridge on the floor.  

The cartridge erupted and blue smoke billowed throughout the sewer.  Quiverwing waved her arms frantically, and then felt two arms wrap around her waist.  Darkwing picked her up and carried her out of the smoke unnoticed by Bulba, who tried to dispense of the distraction.

"Wait – you can't just run from Taurus Bulba!" Quiverwing yelled, clearly shocked.

"I'm not _running_ from him, I'm getting _you_ away from here!" Darkwing said sternly, trying to keep his voice calm.

"What about Launchpad?" Quiverwing asked fearfully.

Darkwing darted past the pilot, who had just freed himself from the net.  Launchpad's eyes burned an angry scarlet, and he let out an unsettling roar.  Darkwing gulped.

"We'll come back for him, he can take care of himself I think," Darkwing said, glancing back to see his sidekick plowing down eggmen in pursuit.

Finding the nearest exit, Darkwing pushed Quiverwing up the ladder and scurried after her, listening to Launchpad's heavy footsteps gaining on them all the way.  As soon as Quiverwing's feet hit the pavement, she sprinted over to where she had seen the Ratcatcher.  Right behind her, Darkwing hoisted himself out of the manhole.  He turned and looked down; Launchpad was climbing the ladder right behind him. 

Just as he reached the top, Darkwing muttered, "This is gonna hurt me a lot more than it'll hurt you," and he grabbed the cover of the manhole and slammed it on Launchpad's head.  He could hear his friend's mad cries and a loud '_thunk!_' as he hit the platform below.  Wincing, Darkwing turned and ran after his daughter.

*~*~*~*

Aviana and Negaduck coughed forcefully as the blue smoke billowed throughout the room.  

"Way – ACK – to go, Darkwing –ACK – Dunce," Negaduck managed between coughs.  

He heard an infuriated snarl and looked up.  Taurus Bulba and the eggmen were blinded by the smoke.  Thinking fast, Negaduck searched through the thinning wisps until he spotted a ladder at the other end of the passage.

"Now's our – ACK – chance!" he coughed to Aviana.

The two started to run, and in the blinding smoke promptly smacked into each other.

"Slick one Fuzzy!"

"Full of grace as always girlie!  This way!"

Negaduck grabbed her shoulders and pushed her in the right direction and the two ran to the ladder.  Aviana climbed up it deftly with Negaduck at her heels.  

Taurus Bulba finally cleared away the smoke with a convenient fan, courtesy of his Swiss-army-like left hand.  He was fuming now; this was not the way things were supposed to go about.  He scanned the sewer with his computerized eye, and the targeting system locked on two familiar webbed feet disappearing through a manhole.  

"Time for a duck hunt," Taurus Bulba whispered, his voice saturated with evil.


	8. One Long Night

Disclaimer:  I called Disney, my people spoke to their people, and after much negotiation I am now the proud owner of all the characters within this fic!!!  Ha ha just kidding.

My greatest thanks go out to everyone who reviewed!

*~*~*~*

"No, no matter how far we've come

I can't wait to see tomorrow

No, no matter how far we've come I

I can't wait to see tomorrow"

LINKIN PARK

*~*~*~*

Broken glass, scattered debris, and totaled cars laid abundant on south Plumage Street.  Sirens wailed dully, to the point where no one even took them seriously.  The smell of smoke filtered through the air, and a blanket of weariness covered the scene.  

"I wonder if Duckburg has this problem," a drained police officer mused as he stuffed one of the few captured eggmen into the back of his car.

Aviana hoisted herself out of the manhole and onto the surface.  She exhaled the musty sewer air and inhaled the atmosphere of the fresh night.  Negaduck popped up behind her, and surveyed the street.

"There is something seriously wrong with this city," he stated flatly, then looked to Aviana, "Okay then Miss Know-it-all, what were those things?"

Kicking some of the sewage off of her boots, Aviana turned to face him.

"I told you, they were soulless beings!  They have no emotion, they can't feel anything, and they can't die because they're in limbo!"

Negaduck raised an eyebrow.

"Right," he muttered sarcastically.

"Now do you believe me?" 

"Believe what?"

"That you're involved," the duckette said, crossing her arms.

Negaduck scowled.  

"What is your problem?!  Why are so obsessed with this load of crock?  And how are a bunch of soulless losers and a psycho cyborg supposed to make me believe any of it?!  Just 'cause I decided to go in that stupid sewer that the damn bull just happened to be in doesn't prove anything.  I'M.  NOT.  'INVOLVED'."  Negaduck screeched.

Aviana's eyes turned to slits and she leaned towards him calmly, answering, "Well, no one _made _you come, did they?"

Negaduck opened his mouth to retort and raised a finger aggressively, but froze, realizing he had nothing to say.  His angry expression was wiped away and replaced with shock, he dropped his hand dolefully and his shoulders slackened.  Though nothing in the world could torture it out of him, he knew one undeniable fact.  She was right.

Though she did not smile, Aviana's eyes sparkled with triumph, and Negaduck felt his self-control return with a vengeance.  

"Well…so what!  I merely came to show that brainless bull who's boss of this town," Negaduck said, crossing his arms and looking away haughtily.

"Uh huh.  And riddle me this, Fuzzy:  just how exactly does running away screaming leave him shaking in his bolts?"

"First of all, if you _ever_ call me 'Fuzzy' one more time, I'll personally shove the Devil's Eye down your throat, and second of all, I did not run away– "

_KABLAM!_

Negaduck and Aviana whipped around to see chunks of asphalt hurtling through the air.  As the dust cleared, a gaping hole resided in the middle of Plumage Street, adding to its postwar décor.  With an enraged roar, Taurus Bulba burst through the hole.  Now transformed into a glider, he hovered ominously over the eggmen pouring onto the street.

"Eggmen!  Return to the hideout.  I will enlighten Darkwing on the fine art of not interfering with my plans."

As Aviana watched the eggmen flee, she could not shake the eerie feeling that their eyes now gleamed red under those visors.  Taurus Bulba looked to Negaduck chuckling lowly, and he spoke in a mocking, sinister voice, "And here is the guest of honor."

The cyborg charged the weapons on his helmet and fired.  Aviana and Negaduck dove out of harm's way.

"I hate cyborgs," Aviana hissed.

"Yeah, and I hate…well, a lot of things, but stupid flying cows _really_ rub me the wrong way.  Time for a trim, birdie!" Negaduck roared, and pulled out a ridiculously large gun.  No sooner had he wrapped his finger around the trigger when Bulba fired, blasting the gun from the mallard's grasp.  Negaduck stood shocked, staring at his empty hands.

"Or not," he said nervously.

Aviana gulped and stepped back.  She was beginning to prefer the eggmen.

"My sincerest apologies.  I hope this one hurts more," Taurus jeered, and fired yet again.

Negaduck yelped and jumped back.  He stared at the smoking hole where his feet had been a second ago, and a deep fury burned inside him.  No one pushed _him _around.  He had proved that years ago.  He looked up at Taurus Bulba with a powerful hatred evident in his eyes.

Taurus Bulba's mechanical eye zoomed in on the defiant face before him.  This was not his mortal enemy.

"No…" he whispered, "You are not…you…Darkwing's DIVERSION!  Now you will meet your doom!" the bull fumed.

Negaduck recognized the all too familiar homicidal wave that had washed over his foe, and he began to think logically.  There were times when although you think your ego could never possibly allow it, you must salvage as much dignity as conceivable and head for the hills.  This appeared to be one of those times.

While casually backing away, Negaduck dismissed himself gracefully, "I'd love to stay and chat, but it seems to be past your bedtime.  Later, metal mouth!"

Negaduck spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction.  Aviana ground her teeth and ran after him.

"Where are you going?" she cried out frantically.

"Anywhere but here!" Negaduck called back, and turned the corner into the alley where the Troublemaker waited.

Negaduck leapt onto his motorcycle and turned on the ignition.  Aviana jumped onto the seat behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"I saved your tail feathers, now you save mine," Aviana replied.

Suddenly Taurus Bulba's hulking silhouette appeared in the alley.  His shadow of an arm lowered, the moonlight glinting off of it menacingly.  With a triumphant snarl the bull fired.

Aviana gasped, but Negaduck reacted quickly.  With a swift shift into reverse he brought his foot down heavily on the gas.  The tires spun momentarily before jerking them back out of danger.  Taurus Bulba growled in frustration and rocketed after them.

Still speeding backwards down the alley, Aviana turned around.  They were careening toward a chain fence blocked by heaps of garbage cans and the hood of an old car.   Swallowing a panicked yelp she glanced at Negaduck, who was concentrating steadily on the rearview mirror. Damn, he was really going to go through with this.

Aviana tensed herself and involuntarily clutched the sides of Negaduck's jacket.  The hood acted as a makeshift ramp as the Troublemaker hit it at full speed.  The motorcycle flew over the fence and launched into the air.  Negaduck gripped the handlebars tightly, but Aviana could not help but enjoy he temporary weightlessness as they reached their peak height.  Gravity quickly kicked in and they plummeted to the ground.

The motorcycle slammed into the earth, bounced once, then stood still, amazingly in an upright position.  Aviana blinked in astonishment while Negaduck tried to ignore the jarring pain in his back.

"There go the shocks," he said in a strangled voice, not referring to only his vehicle.

Bulba easily flew over the fence and rounded on them.  In a mocking tone, he asked, "What an impressive trick, I think you deserve a treat."  With that, he darted forward.

"I don't accept charity from strangers," Negaduck quipped, shifting into drive and hitting the gas.  

They quickly sped under the flying cyborg, who had to make an abrupt turn before slamming into the pavement.  With a growl, he took off after them.

"How are we going to lose him?" Aviana asked, in strained but calm voice, as she watched the bull gaining on them.

"I think I have an idea, but we have to get there first," Negaduck said with determination.

He made a sharp right and shot into the main road.  Cars veered wildly to vacate his path, horns blared, glass shattered.

"Nice merge," Aviana mumbled sarcastically.

"I do try," Negaduck retorted.  

He drove down the street at an incredible rate, swerving expertly between the speed-limit abiding cars.   Aviana, still clasping his jacket, was torn between enjoying the thrill of unreasonable speeding and screaming in terror at the prospect of being splattered all over the landscape.  Meanwhile, Negaduck bent forward, focusing hard on the road before him.  Suddenly he heard several terrified screams and panicked car horns.  He chanced a quick glance behind him, only to see Taurus Bulba closing in on them, flying almost low enough to skim the tops of the vehicles.

"What's the rush, duck?  You forgot to say your goodnights!"

The bull fired two shots with his cranial weapons, but Negaduck had already gone through a miraculously quick thought process.  He couldn't go right, he'd crash into one or more buildings.  Process of elimination left one other choice…

Just as Bulba launched the dual shots, Negaduck swerved left into the opposing traffic lane.  People swore and screamed as cars hurtled past him in blurs of various hues.

"Oh Christ!" Aviana cried, and wrapped her arms tightly around Negaduck's middle in a desperate attempt to maintain her seat on the bike.  The mallard swung back and forth over the dividing line, trying to avoid the cars in both directions while sustaining his present speed.

"What are you doing?!" Aviana asked bewilderedly, trying to decide if jumping onto the cyborg would possibly be a safer alternative.

"What, should I stop so we can have a nice chat with our spastic friend back there?" he raged sarcastically.  They both yelped as two laser blasts whizzed over their heads, scorching the top of Negaduck's hat.  

The black-masked mallard growled.

"I hatethat guy.  Quick, grab a gun and shoot him," he stated calmly.

"Like it's gonna do anything!" Aviana returned.

"Shoot him in the face or something!  Just distract him!"

Aviana mumbled profanities under her breath and looked beneath his cape.

"_Good God_ almighty!  How many guns could you possibly own?!" she cried, staring at the giant cache of firearms located under the cloth.

"Be prepared.  It's the Boy Scout way," Negaduck jibed.

"Like you were ever a Boy Scout."

Aviana reached in and grabbed the biggest, closest weapon she could find, which happened to be a Tommy gun.  She handled the firearm nimbly, leading Negaduck to believe that this was not the first time she had ever used a gun.  Aviana raised the weapon and aimed for the flying cyborg's exposed face.

"Oh no, the little girl is playing with the big boys now," Bulba mocked, "Go ahead little lady, take your best shot."

The duckette's temper flared, and Negaduck could have sworn he felt a surge of heat behind him.  If she had ever been slightly opposed to shooting the bull, all sentiments of that nature were gone for good.

Aviana gritted her teeth and fired.  A series shots flew straight at Taurus Bulba's face.  His eyes widened and banked left at the last second, and a few bullets grazed off of his helmet.  Even though he was concentrating on avoiding cars while driving on the wrong side of the road, Negaduck could hear the bull's angry snarls.  

"Temper temper," he scolded mockingly to Aviana, who was currently trembling with rage.

Negaduck grinned, until an oncoming car sideswiped him.  Now it was his turn to lose his cool.

Turning around and raising a choice finger, he yelled angrily to the disappearing car, "WATCH IT, YOU KNOB!"

Within half of a panicked second Aviana realized that she was on a speeding motorcycle in the left side of the road to which the driver had his back turned with one hand on the handlebars.  Instinctively she reached forward and grabbed Negaduck's beak, pushing it around to face forward.

"Eyes on the road, hotshot!" she said assertively.

"I know where I'm – yah!" 

Negaduck's ego was humbled slightly as he veered wildly to evade an approaching vehicle.  He chose to drop the subject when he noticed that they were closing in on the subway entrance.  This was it, their escape; he knew the subway system well, they could lose that bovine bully…

"CRAP!"

"What?  What is it?!" Aviana panicked at his sudden outburst, latching onto his jacket and looking wildly around.

Negaduck adopted a familiar look of rage.

"The subway!  We can't get in, there's some stupid barrier blocking it…what?!  '_Closed for repairs_'?!  How can you shut down a subway, dammit!  I HATE THIS CITY!"

The main road led to Audubon Bay Bridge, and Negaduck could see the famous steel supports looming in the distance.  His mind reeled as he tried to organize a plan, desperate to regain control of the situation.  Aviana bit her lip and turned around, witnessing a very piqued cyborg flying towards them.

"You have had your fun, duck.  Now it is my turn to have a piece of the pie," Bulba seethed. 

The metaphorical light bulb clicked in Negaduck's head.

"_Pie_," he whispered, "_yes_…pie…"

The mallard cackled maliciously, causing Aviana to regard him warily.  He was nuts.  Out of his tree.  Completely insane.

He turned around and said quickly, "Get the big gun that has the pies loaded in it.  Now he's got it coming!"

Aviana stared at him with narrowed eyes for a moment before complying.  Looking underneath his cape she found the desired firearm.  She heaved it out and lifted it onto her shoulder.  She glanced at Negaduck, who was looking in the rearview mirror and chuckling wickedly.  Rolling her eyes, Aviana took aim.  Bulba acknowledged this, but, in lieu of his last mistake, said nothing.

Aviana pulled the trigger, sending a pie tearing through the air.  The bull easily ducked out of the way.

"Ha!  I am terribly sorry, but I fear a simple pastry is not enough to stop – "

Aviana fired again, finding her target.  The pie splattered across the cyborg's face, causing him to roar with anger.

"That'll stop him," Negaduck announced triumphantly as they drove onto the bridge.

The duckette opened her mouth to question whether or not a pie could impede a raging bull, but was silenced when the custard on Bulba's face began to grow.

"What the Hell is that?" she questioned, a look of disturbed shock on her face.

"They're Expanding Whammo Pies, something from Dirtwing's little spy club.  They're great as long as long as you don't…uh oh…"

"What do you mean, '_uh oh_'," Aviana asked slowly.

Before Negaduck could answer, the tires of the Troublemaker began to spin rapidly.  Custard began to encompass them on all sides, swelling at an alarming rate.  The bike spun in wild circles as the pastry spread underneath the tires and into the gears.  Negaduck pulled on the handlebars, frantically trying to gain control.  Aviana jumped beside him and latched onto the handlebars as well, and the two desperately attempted to fight the custard.  Unfortunately, the custard won.

The motorcycle slid wildly until colliding head-on with the bridge's barrier.  Negaduck felt himself jerk forward violently, and the next thing he knew he had once again become a bird of flight.  This time, however, he was flying right over Audubon Bay.

*~*~*~*

For all of the mayhem below, Darkwing Tower opposed it in every form.  It was abnormally quiet, and the darkness seemed to creep its way into the souls of its two occupants.  

Darkwing Duck pounded the keys furiously as his eyes scanned the monitor in front of him.  Its soft blue glow illuminated the mallard's face, which was heavily bent in concentration.  His brow was furrowed and his jaw was set, and each agonizing minute only hardened his expression.  When it seemed as if the world could not have been any more still, Darkwing felt the floor beneath him shudder gently.

If possible, his brow furrowed even further.  He vacated his seat in front of the computer and walked over to the open window.  He leaned out of it, causing his cape to catch the light spring breeze.  The crime fighter gazed at the scene below him, which consisted of a large, morphing mass of goo and a smoking wreckage embedded in the edge of the bridge.  He raised an eyebrow.  Under normal circumstances, this would have been a job for the daring duck of do.  However, the valiant vigilante had other more pressing matters on his shoulders.  Shaking his head, Darkwing turned back to his work.

While he continued to batter the keyboard, he glanced at Gosalyn, who was sitting in a blue chair staring at, but not comprehending, the television.  She was uncharacteristically silent, in fact, she had not said a single word since they left the sewer.  On the ride home, Darkwing had prepared himself for an intense argument over her disobedience, but Gosalyn did nothing but cling to him until they reached the tower.  His paternal instincts got the better of him and he walked over to his daughter.

"Gos, sweetie, got something you want to talk about?"

She looked up to him with very hurt, green eyes.

"Dad, what happened to Launchpad?"

Darkwing took a deep breath and stared at his daughter.  Gosalyn thought she had seen a rare flash of pain in his eyes, but it was gone as quick as it had come.

"Okay.  If all of this is to be believed, Bulba has a powerful artifact called the Devil's Eye.  And whatever that was that he said to it, it caused to the Eye to take Launchpad's soul."

"So basically Launchpad's a zombie," Gosalyn said quickly.

"Well, you see…um, well…yeah, I guess you could say that," Darkwing sputtered awkwardly.

"_Launchpad's a zombie_," Gosalyn whispered, staring into space.  It was perhaps the ultimate irony.  Years of late night horror movies and video games, wishing she could just lay eyes on the real walking dead, and now the opportunity presented itself in a hideous form.  The memory of his sick beak and ghastly face was enough to make her stomach turn.

Noting her dismay, Darkwing put on a brave face.

"Don't worry Gos.  We've pulled Launchpad outta worse – and this time, Taurus Bulba's gonna wish he'd never touched a tin toe on my turf!"

Darkwing's chest swelled and he stared off into the distance dramatically, but Gosalyn shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the cyborg's name.  After the night's escapade, she was not so keen on standing up the menace that had so drastically changed her life.  However, upon seeing the fearless look on Darkwing's face, the hero inside of her rose as well.  Instilled with new courage, she continued the conversation.  

"So what's this Devil's Eye thing anyway?" she asked curiously.

"That's what I've been trying to find out.  SHUSH gave me the password to log into their database, so here goes."

With a few quick taps and some angry words, Darkwing finally brought up the file.  He and Gosalyn leaned towards the screen simultaneously, and the mallard read aloud.

"The Devil's Eye:  ancient Transylvanian black orb of doom.  Special abilities:  Able to remove souls from their physical form, uphold any oath sworn upon it; coming in contact with the Devil's Eye is reputed to result in visions of the possessor's worst memories – "

Darkwing paused.  He suddenly remembered the previous night, waking up, trembling and cold.  Images he had not recalled in years had appeared in his dreams, causing his heart to pound rapidly.  He could still see his parents in the kitchen as he watched them from behind the tree, talking heatedly before getting into the car…

"Dad!" Gosalyn snapped impatiently.

"Oh, right," Darkwing mumbled, jerking out of his reverie.  "See link below for the Complete Unabridged Super-Secret New and Improved History of the Devil's Eye.  Let's see…the creation of the ancient orb known as the Devil's Eye is dark and riddled with betrayal.  Though the complete story is unknown, research tells us that it began in ancient Transylvania, where a young duck named Olu – Oluc…oh c'mon … _Olucolom _…try saying _that _three times fast… a young duck named Olucolom claimed to possess mysterious abilities.  His talents included a second sight and sorcerer-like qualities, which he believed he could use for the greater good. 

The public ridiculed his beliefs, especially a close friend named Lamron.   He betrayed Olucolom by rallying the townsfolk and burning down his house, destroying all records of Olucolom's activities.  The racist fear of the people caused Olucolom to be cast out of the city.  The only people to argue his exile were family members, who were quickly imprisoned.  

Legend tells us that in his anger, Olucolom traveled to the gates of Hell, and when he met eyes with the Devil, his soul left him in fear.  Amused by this, the Devil allowed Olucolom to borrow his eye to use it on his betrayers.  However, Olucolom planned ahead.  He cursed the Devil's Eye to only act at the prompt of a specific incantation, and, believing his tormentors should be severely punished, that the fleeing souls would be trapped in limbo for eternity.  Knowing that his family could possibly fall prey to the Eye, he made it so that their souls could be retrieved from limbo by a flesh and blood connection.

Olucolom rampaged through the city, destroying the lives of the city dwellers.  When he reached Lamron, he decided that his punishment should be the worst of all.  Olucolom cursed the bodies of the fallen people, instilling them with infinite strength and ability.  His horde of zombie-like citizens attacked until Lamron was on his knees.  Before his death, Lamron swore that his children would forever hunt down Olucolom's children, until all of them were wiped out.  Olucolom scoffed his words and destroyed his former friend Lamron.

While the rest of the story remains indefinite, the power of the Devil's Eye stays the same.  Further reading includes…"

"Wow!  What a story!  Drama!  Betrayal!  Revenge!  It has everything!" Gosalyn cried, "Well Dad, I think that's a lot for a crime fighter and his sidekick to handle, let alone just you.   You're gonna need some major help here."

Darkwing scowled.

"Oooohhh no no no, I see where this is going.  I don't care what kind of psycho logic you try, you're not – "

"Cool it, Dad.  I'm not talking about me!  I'm talking about the Justice Ducks!  Think about it!  I can see the headlines now…Veteran Vigilantes Vanquish the Villain!"

Darkwing Duck stared off into space, letting his mind wander into media highland.  They could join together again, defeat Bulba, it would be terrific.  Quickly his senses returned and he shook his head dejectedly.

"Good thinking Gos, but I don't think it will work.  If I remember correctly, the Justice Ducks are on a sort of hiatus."

"What now?  Did a certain someone have a problem with another case of gloryhogitis?"

The crime fighter narrowed his eyes and replied, "No…the members of the team are having an attendance problem."

"How?"

"Well, Gizmoduck's off in New Mexico with that rich guy Launchpad worked for, what a shame, Stegmutt's still recovering from his hotdog stand accident," Darkwing shuddered, then continued, "Neptunia's, well, I have no idea where Neptunia is…"

"Wow, way to be prepared for this kinda thing," Gosalyn mumbled.

"So then there's – "

Darkwing stopped and his body tensed as he remembered the final member of the heroic team.  His eyes reflected sharp pain, but he quickly replaced it with a harsh stare.

"Yeah," he finished bitterly.

Gosalyn knew the mallard too well to let the momentary emotion go unnoticed.  

"Something you wanna talk about?" she asked soothingly.

"No," Darkwing answered curtly.

The duckling crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Yeah right.  Look I don't know what happened between you two, but you need a serious 'tude adjustment if you wanna sort it out, it's been months!" Gosalyn spat impatiently.

"Thanks for the therapy help line, but it's getting late, I think it's time to…" 

Gosalyn attempted to make a quiet retreat to the revolving chairs, but Darkwing caught sight of the clock on his computer.

"HOLY CATS!  It's almost one o'clock!  And _you've_ got school tomorrow!  You!  Home!  NOW!"

*~*~*~*

Gosalyn Mallard trudged up the dark stairs of her house, he father in tow.  The house was eerily quiet, and each squeak under their webbed feet seemed like a booming explosion.  An empty blue light filtered through her window as Gosalyn climbed into her bed and pulled up the covers.  Though she was determined not to reveal how tired she really was, she knew she lost the battle when Darkwing silently uncovered her and took off her shoes.  He placed them on the floor before tugging the sheets over her.  

Though she would never admit it, Gosalyn looked forward to this every night.  It was the time when her father stood over her protectively, making sure she was comfortable, making sure she knew he would do anything for her.  She never felt so safe and protected, so secure in knowing that there was someone out there who loved her for who she was, who would always be beside her no matter what.  She did not have to be alone or afraid any longer.

Darkwing Duck stroked his daughter's head warmly before kissing her forehead.

"Promise me you won't make this a habit," he said fondly with a glance at her alarm clock.

"Maybe," Gosalyn giggled.

Darkwing smiled and rolled his eyes, then leaned down to give her a tender hug.  

"Goodnight Gosalyn."

 The mallard turned to leave the room.  Gosalyn suddenly felt a tightening fear grip her tighter than a vice, and cried out desperately.

"What are you doing?!"

Darkwing whipped around, startled by her outburst.

"Gos, I'm just going – "

"Don't go!" she called, clinging to the blankets.  She already lost one close friend tonight, she did not need to lose another one.

"Gos," Darkwing breathed.  It was very uncharacteristic for her to show this kind of unrestrained fear, and he could feel his paternal instincts rising again.

"It's just…Launchpad…he's not here, and what if, what if he doesn't come back?" Gosalyn asked quietly, her wide eyes pleading with his.

Darkwing got to his knees and leaned on the bed, becoming eye level with the brave girl in front of him.  It was just the two of them, in their own world.

"Look Gos, I promise you I'll get him back.  I don't care what Taurus Bulba thinks, he's outclassed, outshined, outdone, out – " Darkwing continued, his vigor mounting by the second.

"Dad," Gosalyn interrupted, "that's just it!  I don't want you to go out there without help and think you can do everything yourself!  I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, but I don't want to have a zombie for a father!"

Darkwing Duck sighed and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Will you stay home tonight?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay.  Goodnight Dad."

"Goodnight sweetie."

NOTE:  Sorry for the wait, this chapter was hard to write for some reason, and the next one isn't looking very promising.  I'll try and get it out as soon as possible, because this is a lot more fun to write than a term paper.


	9. Fearful Power

Disclaimer:  All characters mentioned in this fic are not mine, even though they should be, because it's not like Disney's doing a heck of a lot with them as of now.

Wow, look at all these Darkwing fic updates!  It just proves that the classics never die!  Take that current drama-and humor-lacking Disney Channel cartoons!

Rock on reviewers!  Your comments mean so much to me.  I love you guys!

*~*~*~*

"I don't want to be the one

Who battles always choose

Cuz inside I realize

That I'm the one confused

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

I don't know why I instigate

And say what I don't mean

I don't know how I got this way

I know it's not all right

So I'm breaking the habit

I'm breaking the habit tonight"

LINKIN PARK

*~*~*~*

Day or night, Audubon Bay was truly a sight to behold.  By day, it sparkled like millions of sapphires morphing in a beautiful tide pattern around the bustling metropolis.  By night it became a great, black field, both ominous and breathtaking.  Its depths were filled with potential, and what lived beneath its surface was shrouded in mystery.

Now, however, Negaduck could care less about the bay's dazzling intrigue, as he was currently sailing over it in a perfect arc after being launched from the seat of his motorcycle.

As he whistled through the air, shock had overtaken him, making him feel unusually calm.  He observed the blur of water below him silently, unable to take his eyes from it.   Suddenly he felt a hand grip his ankle tightly.

"Use your cape!"

"Huh?"

"Grab your cape!"

Negaduck's brain snapped back to reality he became violently aware of the urgency as he began his downward decent.  He snatched for the piece of cloth fluttering madly behind him, but he only managed to claw the air.

"GRAB YOUR STUPID CAPE!"

"I'M TRYING!"

Negaduck ground his teeth and made another wild snatch, and finally he felt the fabric between his fingers.  He quickly grabbed the other end, and the cape expanded into a makeshift parachute in seconds.  Aviana still clung to his ankle as their rapid plunge slowed enough to remove the fatality factor of the situation.  The two ducks tensed simultaneously before breaking the shifting glass surface below with a colossal _SPLASH!_

Though he had taken in a great gulp of air, the impact caused all of it to be knocked forcibly out of Negaduck's lungs.  For a few stunned moments he spun lazily end-over-end in the water, and he was dimly aware that the pressure had left his ankle.  He opened his eyes, only to see nothing but a mass of deep black on all sides.  The mallard moved his limbs, listening to the muffled gurgles they produced.  It was so quiet, and he was so alone.  The thought hit him like a train slamming silently into a brick wall.  So alone, so very alone… 

The next he knew, Negaduck exploded through the surface of the bay, and reflexively took in a raspy gasp of air.  He turned about in the water, surveying the bustling, glowing city, its lights sparkling on the black water, the impressive bridge hovering ominously above, and soon he forgot his moment of enlightenment.  He was surrounded by life, and nothing was missing – except his hat.  Negaduck snarled and wheeled about, searching for a bit of red bobbing amongst the dark waves.  However, the fedora was not the only thing missing.

"Where is she?" Negaduck wondered aloud.

 He looked and listened, but saw nothing, not even a bubble.  Suddenly something jolted inside him.  It was getting to be a long time now, and she was a duck for Chrissake, how could she not be up by now?  Where was she?  

*~*~*~*

Aviana fumbled blindly with the buckles of her boots, desperate for the air that had been stolen from her.  Her shoes had turned to lead attached to her feet, and she mentally cursed herself for choosing such heavy footwear.

Kicking off the left boot, she hastily began working on the other.  Everything seemed so loud and fast, though she found herself wreathed in silent darkness.  Despite her clumsy, water-dulled movements, she managed to fling off the remaining boot.

Aviana pushed herself through the murky blackness, but she could no longer discern up from down, left from right.  She felt as though she was dashing up a hill, carrying fifty pounds of weights with her.  Her body screamed for air, but her mind screamed terrible thoughts.

_You'll never make it._

No, you're wrong, I'll make it…

_You can't breathe again._

She could feel the hands around her neck, squeezing, choking…

_There's no one to save you now._

Aviana looked around frantically, and her clouding eyes landed on two webbed feet kicking at the surface, illuminated by the city lights.  With all the mental and physical power she could muster, she pushed through the water.

_You're going to die alone._

 No, no…

*~*~*~*

Negaduck was still treading water, his head whipping left and right.  There was a strange feeling in his stomach that he could not seem to place.  He had the city, he could not be alone…but he had no one _in _the city, no one at all.

"YAAHH!"

Just when his nerves had reached the edge of infinity, Negaduck yelped as he felt something snatch his leg and drag him under.  The mallard kicked violently and pulled himself back to the surface, swallowing a large amount of Audubon Bay in the process.  Aviana suddenly burst through the water directly in front of him, coughing and gasping.

Negaduck squirted out the little bay water he had not gulped down, and Aviana's hacking fit ended.  Two hearts pounded rapidly and equally in the night, and two minds subconsciously sighed with relief.  The duckette stared fixedly at a very interesting speck in the water, while the mallard reacted instantly.

"What were you doing down there, having a party?!  Is oxygen not good enough for you?  I don't think I've even seen fish spend that much time underwater for crying out loud!"

Aviana's eyes left the speck and stared into his.  She was expecting herself to naturally fly off the handle, but she paused.  The eyes behind the black mask were different somehow, and while his last little outburst had been sarcastic as usual, it had come out quick and panicked versus the usual suave and controlled.

"What are _you_ looking at?" Negaduck asked uncomfortably after a prolonged silence.

"Were you scared?" Aviana questioned.

The mallard's eyes narrowed.

"Huh.  You wish."

Aviana glowered back at him with equally narrow eyes and prepared to respond, but a loud whistling sound filled the air.  The two looked up, and saw a large figure above the bridge hurtling towards them.

"This night just gets better and better," Negaduck spat, looking around for an escape that was missing in action.

To his surprise, Aviana turned and spoke calmly, "Listen, I need you to be quiet and stay still, okay?"

Negaduck's face contorted with anger at being told what to do.  He opened his beak to utter the unspeakable, but yet again their eyes met.  Negaduck saw something in her eyes that he could not describe, something meaningful and intense.  For second time that night he was silenced by the duckette in front of him, a rare feat.

At length Aviana turned away form him and faced the flying cyborg.  The bull was tearing towards them, his helmet weapons glowing with anticipation.  Aviana took in a slow breath, allowing instinct to take over treading water as she focused on the bull's one exposed eye.

Taurus Bulba cackled maniacally.  Aviana stared steadily, every fiber in her body tense with concentration.  Negaduck's eyes went from Aviana to the cyborg, trying to comprehend the absurdity of the situation.

Suddenly Bulba's chuckling ceased, and his thoughts changed from homicidal glee to sheer terror.

Negaduck watched as the flying bull's face reflected extreme panic.  Bulba veered wildly and began to fly away from them.  Negaduck's jaw dropped.

Aviana let out the air in her lungs in a long sigh.  She followed the cyborg until he disappeared into the dark night sky.

Negaduck stared blankly for a second before craning his neck to look at Aviana, who glanced at him almost ashamedly.  

The mallard paused, waiting for an explanation.  When he received none, he frowned and spoke up.

"Well?  Care to explain what just happened?"

Aviana swallowed and made furtive glances at him.  Finally she rolled her eyes and muttered, "He got scared."

"Duh.  How."

"Well…because…because I, well, scared him," Aviana answered sheepishly.

Negaduck frowned, clearly puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly Aviana's eyes became filled with pain, and she whipped around to face him square on.

"Because!  It's what I can do!  It's my little hidden talent!  If I look at someone straight in the eye, I can make them feel fear!  Isn't that something?!"  Aviana snapped viciously, then turned away.

Negaduck stared.  At first he was jealous and convinced he was the only being on the planet without a superpower.  Soon his thoughts changed, however, as he gazed at the wet, dark hair glistening in front of him.  Out of all the superpowers he had seen, and Lord knew he had seen a lot of them, this one truly intrigued him.

"Really?" he asked, interested.

"Yeah.  Really."

"How long?"

"Since I was little."

"So when you gave Darkwing Dope the evil eye on the docks…" Negaduck began, remembering the event from the other night.

Aviana felt herself relax slightly and she turned to him, grinning.

"Yes.  Except that one was not really intentional."

Negaduck snorted with laughter, and Aviana could feel a sense of speculation wash over her.  Why was he not afraid, like all of the others?

"So, you don't think I'm like, a freak of nature or anything?"

Negaduck raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't lived in this city very long, have you?"

The duckette shook her head.

"You'll fit right in," Negaduck said confidently.

"I'd doubt it," Aviana muttered, a dark look on her face.

The two regarded each other for a few moments longer before Aviana finally broke the deep silence.

"Well, I'd love to stay here and chat, but a bay isn't really my kind of haunt.  I'm freezing my kiester off," she said.

Aviana turned and began to swim toward the banks, and for lack of anything better to do, Negaduck followed.  

They eventually made it to shore, each lumbering shakily on the solid ground and dripping wet.  Aviana peeled off her waterlogged hoodie, observing the black-masked mallard out of the corner of her eye.  She chuckled lightly to herself as he rung out his cape, griping and grumbling under his breath.  He shook his head and ruffled his hair, spraying droplets everywhere.  Finally he looked up to see Aviana watching him as she tied her still sopping hoodie around her waist.

"What are you looking at?" Negaduck barked grumpily.

Narrowing her eyes, Aviana answered, "You.  It's like watching a cat crawl out of a bathtub.  And you call yourself a duck."

"Well look who's talking, Miss-I-Think-I-Can-Breath-While-Underwater.  What were you doing?"

"What the Hell do you think?  I was taking off my shoes so I could swim thank you very much," she replied, lifting up a bare webbed foot.

Negaduck snickered.

"Oh, that's great!  I can see the headlines now – Woman Drowns in Bay: Victim to Latest Fashion Trend!"

Aviana crossed her arms.

"He he ho ho.  Let's all point and laugh," she said sarcastically.

Aviana walked over to the still sniggering Negaduck and leaned forward, their beaks close enough to sense the heat emanating from each other's bodies.  Negaduck's chuckling fit stopped, and as the duckette spoke he could feel her breath upon his beak.

"You better watch your back, or your own fashion sense may come back to haunt you," Aviana whispered and reached behind the mallard's back.

Before Negaduck could utter another word Aviana pulled up his sopping wet fedora and dropped it on top of head with a wet _splat!_  

She turned around and strolled over to the embankment, but not before adding a victorious, "Fuzzy."

The wet cloth drooped over Negaduck's beak, leaving his face drenched once again.  The mallard growled and lifted up the dripping hat from in front of his eyes.  Aviana was already halfway up the banks, skillfully scaling the rocks.  Negaduck trudged after the duckette, silently counting the reasons why he could not stand her.

*~*~*~*

Darkwing Duck plodded down the stairs and turned into the silent kitchen.  He opened the refrigerator, searching for anything to curb his appetite bred from late night Hamburger Hippo stops.  As he pushed various items out of the way, he came across the TV remote.  Darkwing pulled it out, slowly inspecting the small device as if he had never seen one before.  

Shrugging, Darkwing reminded himself that this _was_ the Mallard household and shut the refrigerator door.  

He traveled into the dark living room.  The crime fighter sighed and rubbed his temples, attempting to coax away an impending headache.  He walked to the light blue couch and stopped.  He could see his distorted image reflected on the blank TV screen.  From his angle, Darkwing's body looked fat and squat.  Grimacing, the mallard shifted slightly, and his reflection stretched into a taller, thinner one.

Darkwing grinned and flicked on the TV with the remote.  It was his one salvation for an otherwise frustrating night – the news.  He had done a lot of good tonight, he was sure to be top story.

"All right Lockjaw, impress me," Darkwing muttered as he shrugged off his purple jacket and plopped down onto the couch.

"_Welcome to St. Canard News Early Edition.  I'm Tom Lockjaw.  This way too early morning's top story is the terrifying return of the infamous felon, Taurus Bulba…_"

Darkwing watched Bulba's ugly mug pop up on the screen.  He glared daggers at it before gently untying his mask.

The simple removal of the purple piece of cloth transformed Darkwing into his alter ego, the not-so-mild-mannered Drake Mallard.  He held the mask delicately in his hands and continued to watch the broadcast.

"_…Taurus Bulba rampaged through Plumage street just a few hours ago, with dozens of what have been identified as Eggmen – _" a picture of an overweight Eggman chowing down on a hotdog popped up, and Drake raised his eyebrows, " – _seemed to be accompanying him.  Not only did the 'Eggmen' do considerable damage to St. Canard property and its citizens, but Darkwing Duck, local threat to society, aided in their frightening of the populace…_"

"WHAT!" Drake roared, leaping to his feet with smoke practically pouring out of his ears.

The unknown citizen Darkwing and Launchpad had rescued earlier suddenly came up on the screen with a microphone shoved up to his mouth.  His once timid demeanor was gone and replaced with anger.

"_That Darkworm Duck fella started parading that gun of his, and the next thing I know I'm being flung around on a rope – no respect!  No respect at all!_"

"I saved you from imminent doom, you incorrect inhabitant!" Drake cried while pointing an accusing finger at the television.

"_Further footage,_" Tom continued, "_shows Darkwing leaping carelessly over an officer fallen in the line of duty…_"

A short video clip was shone of Darkwing and Launchpad jumping over the robust official who had unwittingly aided them in reaching Taurus Bulba not so long ago.

"'Fallen in the line of duty', pfft," Drake grumbled in a mocking tone, "try 'fattened by a line of donuts'.  What about Launchpad?  He's the one who got turned into a zombie!"

"_Officials inform us that all of the danger has passed, thanks to the St. Canard police force_– "

Tom Lockjaw did not get a chance to finish, because Drake Mallard had already turned off the TV with disgust.  

The mallard was shaking with rage, and the sound of him grinding his teeth could be heard for miles.  Nightly he risked his neck for this city, and for what?  To be ridiculed by those he so willingly protected.

Suddenly he stopped and looked at his hand, where he had been unknowingly squeezing the life out of his poor mask.  Drake unclenched his fist and picked up the crumpled fabric, staring at it long and hard.  His mind became a deluge of memories, his heart twisted and turned in every direction.  

Darkworm Duck with it on, Drake the Dweeb with it off.  The city did not understand him, and he did not understand the city.  What was he good for?  Where did he belong?

NOTE:  Again, thank you my loyal reviewers.  As I've said before, bear with me as I try to get out the next chapter within a reasonable time frame.  The story gets more complex and I have to work out some plot issues, so I'll update as soon as I can.  Thanks.


	10. Mechanical Difficulties

Disclaimer:  Well, if I owned any of the Darkwing Duck characters, nine out of ten I wouldn't be sitting here and typing this fic.  So that makes Aviana the only character that I can call my own.

I know I may sound like a broken record, but the reviews are awesome everyone.  Thanks a million!

_Sproing!  Clang!_

Negaduck grimaced as another chunk of metal fell off his precious motorcycle that he was currently wheeling down the street.  He walked alongside the bike, supporting it by the handlebars.  The severely bent wheels squeaked miserably with every turn, the shattered rearview mirrors dangled perilously.  The once smooth chrome was now crumpled like one giant paper ball, and a small trail of smoke billowed from the end of the totaled vehicle.

Negaduck made every attempt to salvage his dignity as he walked his pitiful bike down the road.  Aviana strode along with him on the other side of the motorcycle, cocking an eyebrow as yet another piece parted ways with it.  She crossed her arms tightly across her chest.  She had only been wearing a tank top underneath her sweatshirt after all, and that was now dripping around her waist.  Bare feet did not help either.

Aviana looked at her surroundings.  The street was getting filthier with each step, the buildings more decrepit.  There were next to no cars on the road, and in their stead were various shady-looking characters.  They kept their distance, however – most of them who caught sight of Negaduck seemed to turn away, and those who did not received a sharp glare from the black-masked mallard.  That alone appeared to teach the hoodlums a lesson.

"Where are we going?" Aviana asked, watching a fistfight break out on the other side of the road.

"_I'm_ going to a special little place of mine.  I don't know where you're going or why you're following me," Negaduck answered, staring straight ahead.

"Gee, why would I be following you," Aviana pondered sarcastically, "when I could wander the streets of a city that I have lived in less than a week while there is a psychotic cyborg out there craving my blood.  H'oh boy, isn't that a tough one."

For a second, Negaduck looked as though he had been slapped in the face.  His expression quickly changed to outrage and he snapped, "And you think traveling with _me_ is safer?  Did you forget who I am?  I'm Negaduck, the most evil, cunning, menacing…"

Aviana rolled her eyes as the mallard's ego took over.  She waited about two minutes before finally tuning back in.

"…intelligent, devilishly handsome duck ever – "

"Uh huh.  So what's this special little place of yours anyway?" Aviana asked, desperate to change the subject.

"If you must know, it's a mechanic I hold in high esteem," Negaduck replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

The duckette glanced at the train wreck rolling beside her.

"What?  You're gonna get this thing fixed?!  Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy another one?"

"Money's not an object in this case," Negaduck stated, a smile playing at the corners of his beak.

"As in you're the kind of guy who'll do anything for his wheels."

"No.  As in I'm the kinda guy who the mechanic will do whatever I say," Negaduck answered, then added maliciously, "or suffer the consequences."

Aviana shook her head, secretly amused.  She looked at the once-motorcycle-turned-scrap-metal a while longer before breathing in disbelief, "And to think we lived through that."

"Heh, it was a good ride, almost makes it worth it," Negaduck commented.

"I was pretty impressed with driving skills," Aviana said without looking at him.

The mallard felt himself fill with an unusually large amount of pride at her compliment.  He had never really seen her show satisfaction in anything other than getting the better of him since he had met her.

However, Aviana added, "Impressed right up until you crashed into a wall."

Negaduck scowled.

"You seem to find some sick pleasure in bringing people down, you know that?" he snarled.

"Oh and you're one to talk," Aviana shot back.

Negaduck gave her a harsh glare, which the duckette returned in full intensity.  Both attempts at trying to intimidate the other were lost.

Negaduck stopped and turned into a rundown garage.  Aviana paused before entering.  The place looked as if someone could just breath on it and it would collapse.  Besides, the mallard was wearing on her nerves.

Suddenly she heard several catcalls behind her.  She whipped around to see a gang of street thugs motioning and whistling crudely, epitomizing everything Aviana despised about the opposite sex.

To the thug's surprise, the duckette they were calling at gave them an ugly look and raised a select finger, then disappeared into the garage.

*~*~*~*

A scrawny, greasy-haired rat sat wiping a hubcap with a dirty rag with enough holes in it to make any Swiss cheese manufacturer jealous.  It was ridiculously late at night, but in this part of town, one would find it safer just to get their shuteye during the day.  His head still bent over the disc, he heard the sound of footsteps and wailing wheels.  

Without looking up he put on a false, macho bluff and called, "What kinda crap metal do I gotta deal with tu-day, dirtba – eep!"

The filthy mechanic finally lifted his eyes from the hubcap and caught sight of the infamous yellow jacket, black mask and cape, and most devastatingly, the duck wearing them.

"Well well, "Spineless" Lou Spindle!  How nice to see you!  Oh, sorry to interrupt; care to finish what you were saying?" Negaduck crooned in a dangerously friendly voice.    

Lou's eyes widened and his face paled.  He twitched once, then smiled, showing his grimy buckteeth.

 "N-n-no, no sir.  Did anyone ever tell you what a snappy dresser you are?" he oozed in a sycophantic tone, "Anyway, I wasn't saying anything, I – "

"I didn't think so," Negaduck growled, then pulled forward his sorry motorcycle, "can you bring it back to its original magnificence?"

Lou stared at the wreckage.  It looked like the mallard had driven it off a cliff – numerous times.  The mechanic then looked up at Negaduck, who stood completely unscathed, albeit soggy.

Not one to ask questions, Lou went back to his work and looked the bike over.  Though the rat was prone to cowardice, flinching, and being frightened by small animals, he was truly a mechanics genius.  It was one of the few places in which he could place his self-assurance.

"Sure I can fix it," Lou said confidently, "It's – "

The mechanic was cut off by a duckette marching angrily into the garage, grumbling to herself.  She came to a halt beside Negaduck, crossed her arms heatedly, and finally finished with a disgusted, "Men!"

Negaduck and Lou stared at her with an air of indignity.  Aviana shot them both a fiery glare.

"What are you two looking at?" she barked.

Negaduck and Lou went back to business.

"I can fix this thing, just give me a week.  I'm a very busy man you know," Lou said in an important tone.

"I want it by this evening," Negaduck said brusquely.

Lou's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

"Are you nuts?!  This looks more like a recycling bin than a motorcycle!  How am I supposed to fix this thing in just a few hours?  Even if I did nothing but work on it, it would take at least two days, but a guy's gotta sleep you know, and I've got other customers, who've offered me _much _better terms.  Speaking of which, I'd be glad to bump your bike up on the ol' to do list if you propose a better, ahem, _deal_," Lou said, rubbing his thumb and fingers together.

In a flash Negaduck had reached up and grabbed the rat by the collar of his uniform and dragged him down to eye level.

"Here's my deal:  this thing will be sparkling by six o'clock tonight, the time when I will arrive to pick it up.  Take it or leave it.  And trust me, you don't want to leave it!"

Though he already had the trembling mechanic at his mercy, Negaduck grasped a wrench and held it above his head for good measure.

Aviana watched as the black-masked mallard threw his weight around, knowing that he was going a tad too far.

"Cool it Cape Boy, he might pass out," Aviana muttered, raising an eyebrow in Lou's direction.

Negaduck snorted and grinned, but Lou gave Aviana an ugly look.  Negaduck growled and forcefully yanked the mechanic's head around to face him.

As the two continued to argue over the bike, Aviana took to strolling around the garage.  It was completely filthy.  Grime streaked the walls, various parts and tools, including some that should not be found in any mechanic's shop, littered the floor.  However, her eyes soon fell on a pair of black combat boots, much like the ones she had lost in the bay.

She picked them up and brought the shoes to her face, and her nostrils became overwhelmed with the smell of fish.

"Hey, these things smell like the docks," she commented aloud.

"'Cause it's where they came from," Lou stuttered while looking down the barrel of a pistol.  In the mean time, Negaduck held the gun in one hand while casually admiring his nails on the other.

"Can I keep them?" Aviana asked curiously.

Lou's eyes narrowed quizzically, but he replied, "Sure, have it your way."

Negaduck dropped the pistol, and Lou seized the opportunity and dove behind a nearby car.

"Do you have a death wish or something?  Didn't those stupid kinda shoes almost, oh I dunno, drown you?!  Why would you wear them?" Negaduck asked, exasperated.

"Because, I like them, they're what I'm used to.  And I don't have to worry about drowning just as long as I never ride with you again," Aviana returned as she pulled on the boots.

"'Just as long as I never ride with you again,'" Negaduck mimicked in a mocking tone, "smart-aleck little…HEY!  Just where do you think you're going?"

Negaduck fired a warning shot as Lou attempted to creep out the back.  The rat gulped, staring at the smoking hole in the wall an inch from his face.

Negaduck placed the pistol under his cape and spoke to the quaking mechanic, "Six o'clock.  I'll be back.  And if this thing isn't the model of perfection…well, I'll just leave it to your imagination."

With an evil smirk the mallard turned on his heel and strutted out of the building, his cape billowing behind.  Rolling her eyes, Aviana followed.

The night sky was slowly but surely loosing its inky darkness.  The royal blue hues had begun to lighten, signaling to all creatures of the night that fun time was over.

"See, I told you money was no object.  I've got him wrapped around my finger, just like the rest of this sorry city," Negaduck boasted.

"Congratulations, you mercilessly bullied someone unable to stick up for himself.  You must feel wonderful," Aviana said with a look of disdain.

"Hey, he had it coming, that stupid, mooching, grimy little – "

"He had it coming!" Aviana repeated, "Like Hell he did!  I don't care how irritating someone is, you just don't throwing your weight around like that!  How would you feel, if someone bigger and stronger than you just tortured you, brought you pain and fear, for no reason except to make their own miserable selves feel better?!"

Negaduck stood silent.  Funny, he knew _exactly_ how that felt.  And from the look on Aviana's face, it appeared that she did as well.

Aviana glowered at the mallard, expecting a tirade of choice statements to come flying back at her.  However, he uttered not a sound.  His stony expression told her everything she needed to know, and Aviana felt her own face soften.

The two regarded each other in the twilight, silent on the outside, screaming on the inside.  Every emotion writhed within the shell each had encased themselves, like an armor protecting them from further wounds.  Each prepared to hold the darkness inside to the grave.  At the same time, each finding a wordless understanding from the other.

"So, where's Black Fur Avenue from here?" Aviana asked, uneasily breaking the spell.

Negaduck looked at her suspiciously.

"Not far, but I can't grasp why you would want to go there. It's not exactly the crème de la crème of St. Canard."

"I could tell," Aviana muttered, "unfortunately it's where my apartment is."

"You've got to be kidding."

"It's the cheapest rent in the city."

"True, because most of its clientele gets stabbed," Negaduck quipped.

Aviana crossed her arms.

"Just give me directions, Fuzzy."

"Fine," Negaduck seethed, "go to the intersection up the road and – "

Negaduck stopped and looked over Aviana's shoulder.  The duckette turned to look, then swore under her breath.  The gang of street thugs had returned, grinning ominously in her direction.

While Aviana's glared daggers at the hoodlums, Negaduck watched her.  There was an odd feeling in his stomach, and he looked to the gang once more.  Trying not to think of how much he was going to hate himself in the morning, Negaduck inhaled deeply and mumbled, "Nevermind, I'll just take you."

Aviana turned around slowly.  Raising an eyebrow she asked knowingly, "What was that?"

"Don't push it," he growled.

"You don't think I can take care of myself?"

"If you can't, your shoes will," Negaduck replied.

Aviana admired her boots.

"It's weird, but I actually kinda like the smell of rotten fish," she mused.

"Same here."

"Look at that, we have something in common."

"Yeah yeah yeah, less talk more walk girlie.  This night couldn't get any longer…" Negaduck said as he started down the street.

"Aw, does Fuzzy need his beauty sleep?"

*~*~*~*

"And that's how I trapped this entire city in an impenetrable force field and took over St. Canard."

"But what about Darkwing?"

"Ha.  I put a crumb on the bridge so he could find the hideout.  Trust me, he would have never noticed the giant flag if I shoved it right under his beak.  Anywho, I then had him take a nice long drop off the skyscraper."

"Really?  Well the Justice Ducks saved him, I presume?"

"No.  Apparently a garbage truck did.  Damn public services."

"Well, then what?"

"I had those knobs formerly known as the Fearsome Four capture the Freak League.  Then, thanks to the science of pain, I showed those losers who's large and in charge of this town."

"Let me guess.  Darkwing came leaping forth to foil your evil scheme and save the day."

"Of course not.  I got bored with his valueless virtue voodoo and ditched the whole thing."

"He beat you, didn't he?"

"Yeah well…only because he had help from his crummy courageous club!  Stupid yak…"

"Yak?"

"Nevermind."

 Negaduck and Aviana strolled down the back streets of the "bad part of town."  Morning was approaching and the night owls of St. Canard were gradually disappearing, leaving two pairs of webbed feet to claim the street as their own.

The fact that they were both completely exhausted had lessened their inclination to argue, so Negaduck and Aviana got to talking.  Talking led to telling stories about past adventures, which led to Negaduck talking and Aviana listening, which both were fine with.  The mallard had to admit, she was a pretty decent listener.

"But what about you and the rest of the Fearsome Five?  I think I saw that electric guy – Megavolt, right? – I think I saw him on the news once, but other than that, I've never heard of these guys.  You seem to have neglected to mention them."

"Yeah, well, there's nothing worth mentioning.  They're a bunch of traitorous, sniveling losers whose only talents include wasting my precious time," Negaduck snapped bitterly.

"I see," Aviana responded, too tired to venture further on the subject.

At long last, they reached the shabby apartment complex.

"Well, this is my stop," Aviana said as she climbed the porch steps, "Till we meet again."

"Oh yeah?  What makes _you_ so sure?" Negaduck asked.

"It's like talking to a brick wall with you isn't it?  It's the Devil's Eye.  You can't escape it.  You, me, Darkwing, we're all – "

"Involved.  Yeah, I got that one.  You know, I find that you're a bit too obsessed with this thing.  I suggest you lay off this Devil's Eye crap or your brain just might explode," Negaduck declared from the bottom of the stairs.

Aviana scowled down at him and cried, "You don't understand!  This 'Devil's Eye crap' is no joke.  It's as serious as it gets!  It's life or death!"

"Oh really.  Wow, you reeeeeally need a hobby.  I've never seen someone so fixated on a magical black rock in my life.  Get a life for cryin' out loud!" Negaduck yelled.

Aviana stared at him icily, listening to his words echo in her head.  She had come to realize that he was not the egotistical, prone-to-violence jerk she had originally conceived him to be.  The truth of his words stung, but a mixture of pride and pain kept her from giving in.

"Yeah, whatever you say Fuzzy, I'll keep that in mind," she muttered sardonically.

"That's all I ask," the black-masked mallard replied with an equal amount of cynicism.

Aviana shook her head.

"Goodnight Fuzzy," she said, and disappeared with a soft shut of the door.

Negaduck grunted. He started towards Billy-Bob's Fish'n Chips after the longest conversation he had partaken in without feeling the compulsion to hurt the other person in years.

*~*~*~*

Drake Mallard awoke with a jolt.  His breathing was labored and he looked about the room wildly.  Slowly he relaxed, realizing that he was safe in his own bed, in his own room, in his own house.  He was not on top of that building, trembling, and his parents…

Drake shook his head in order to clear the images from his dream.  That was all behind him now, and it was a new day.  He enjoyed a nice, long stretch.  Boy, he felt unusually well-rested, wonder what time it was.  His eyes drifted lazily to his alarm clock.

Drake froze in mid-stretch.

"6:12 PM!  THAT'S WAY TOO LATE!"

In his extreme weariness the night before, he had forgotten to set the alarm, and now was the time to pay the price.  He leapt off the bed and hurtled down the steps, hastily trying to put on his robe, but only managing to get it on one arm.

Meanwhile, Gosalyn was busy placing an arrow meticulously on the string of her bow.  She took careful aim, then fired.  The arrow soared and came to a halt on the head of an inconspicuous statue.

"Bulls eye!  Did you see that Honk?" 

Honker Muddlefoot did not remove his eyes from _Squishee the Squirell's Big Book of QuantumPhysics. _

"Wow Gos that's really good," he said automatically.

The redhead crossed her arms indignantly.

"Hey, you didn't even look!  How's my sidekick supposed to be alert and ready for anything if he's got his beak buried in some book?"

"Sorry Gosalyn."

The two looked up as Drake made contact with the bottom of the stairs with a loud '_thud!_' and turned wildly into the kitchen.

"Gotta get coffee!  Gotta get coffee!" he gasped zippily.

Honker turned to Gosalyn and asked nervously, "Do you think your dad really needs the caffeine?"

"Who knows," she answered and headed toward the kitchen.  Honker followed warily.

Drake had the coffee maker running, and was now pacing back and forth impatiently, his eyes never leaving the worn appliance.

"C'mon c'mon!  Out with the java already!" he cried.

"Jeez Dad, take a chill pill, you're gonna have a coronary!"

 "No!  Can't chill!  Overslept!"

"What's the big deal, if you're late it's not like _you'll_ get detention," Gosalyn protested resentfully.

Drake yanked out the coffee pot and dumped the steaming liquid into his mug.  He dashed to the refrigerator and reached a hand inside, searching for milk.

"No Gos, I won't get detention, St. Canard will just be pulverized.  Who knows what Taurus Bulba is up to, he could have already reduced the city to rubble!"

"All because you overslept?" Gosalyn asked skeptically.

Drake's hand fell onto what he believed to be the milk, but was in fact an orange juice carton.  Without looking, he poured it into his coffee and raised to mug to his beak.

"Uh, Dad…"

"Mr. Mallard…"

"It's my responsibility to protect this metropolis and it's citizens, there's no time for sleep – YECH!"

Drake coughed out the gigantic gulp he had just taken, spraying coffee and orange juice all over the kitchen.

"Ew gross," Gosalyn commented, cringing.

The mallard smacked his forehead and tossed the mug into the sink.  He sped into the living room, his robe trailing behind him.

osalyn gasped and followed, calling, "Dad, did you forget our little discussion?  You can't go out there alone!"

"I won't be alone, I'll call Aviana, if she's not already on top of things," he rambled guiltily.

"Who?" Gosalyn and Honker asked in unison.

"Someone who's helping me out with the whole Devil's Eye thing," Drake said, tearing towards the blue chairs.  

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, and turned to Gosalyn with a stern face, "Now listen to me young lady: you're safe here, Taurus Bulba knows nothing about where we live, and I want to keep it that way.  If you set one foot out of this house, I will take you camping every day for the rest of your life!"

Gosalyn's beak dropped in shock at the mention of the heinous punishment.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"That's my girl," Drake said, and ran to the chairs.

"And don't worry, I'll be careful-"

_THOMP!_

In his haste, Drake tripped over the nefarious living room rug and became airborne.  His flight ended when he hit the blue chair and his head became wedged between the cushions.

He mumbled something that was thankfully muffled by the pillows.  He reached up and brought his fist down on the statue, and disappeared in a blur.

The instant he was out of sight, Gosalyn tore up to her room.

"Where are you going?" Honker cried.

"To get my gear!"

"But Gosalyn, you heard your dad, he said – "

The redhead slid back down the banister, clutching her Quiverwing costume.  She began slinging on the outfit as she spoke to Honker, "He said that I can't set one foot out the door.  He never said anything about two!"

"Yeah but that was implied!"

"Implied or not, he never said anything about Quiverwing Quack leaving the house either, so there!  Besides, what I'm doing is for his own good!"

"What's that?" Honker asked.

"Let's just say I'm getting help from an old friend of his," Gosalyn replied, swishing her cape dramatically.

Honker adjusted his glasses and looked at his friend worriedly.

"Just…just…just be careful, okay?"

"Don't sweat it, Honk!  Dad and I will be back in one piece!  Bulba's never beaten us before!"

"Well…okay."

"See ya soon!"

With that, Quiverwing Quack quickly darted out the door.

"I hope so," Honker whispered with a feeling of dread.

*~*~*~*

_The station wagon came to a halt in the empty parking of a random drug shop.  _

_"Remember:  wait for my signal.  Then we'll bamboozle those buffoons."_

_"Cut the crap Jim."_

_"Fine.  Let's go."_

_Drake listened as his parents vacated the vehicle.  He was confused beyond all reason now; his parents' tone was different than before.  It was darker, less confident._

_Shrugging, the duckling crept out the car, tingling with excitement.  His little feet tiptoed down the night-covered street._

_"Hey, where'd they go?" he whispered to himself, searching for his parents._

_His question was answered by the sound of two gunshots exploding through the wall of silence.  Drake jumped in shock, and his heart pounded.  There were several loud and heated shouts, one of which bore a remarkable resemblance to his father's voice._

_Mustering up his courage, Drake ran towards the sound of the chaos, coming to a halt in front of a dark alley.  It seemed so large and foreboding, practically oozing danger.  The duckling stared into the blackness, as if fearing it might consume him.  His bravery wavering ever so slightly, he gulped and moved stealthily forward.  The shadows increased all around him, and he could not see a thing._

_Stretching his arms out in front of him, Drake called nervously, "Mom?  Dad?  WHAAA!"_

_His feet came in contact with a bulky something on the ground, and Drake fell like a ton of bricks.  He quickly pushed himself up on his hands and knees._

_"Hey, what's the big idea?" he shouted angrily, trying to mask his fear._

_Suddenly his tiny hand landed in something warm.  He speedily recoiled and, as his eyes adjusted to the night, stared at a murky liquid dripping from his fingertips._

_Drake inhaled sharply, and without another look at whatever or whoever  it was he had tripped over, jumped to his feet and sped down the alley.  He could see the eerie light cast by the moon at the other end, and the voices of several strangers echoed in the night.  He skidded to a halt at the end of the alley, and gazed across the street._

_Drake recognized two of the many adults, but the rest remained anonymous.  To his dismay he could see that they were struggling.  One of the strangers finally broke free and dashed into an adjacent building, and the others quickly darted after him in hot pursuit._

_"Oh boy!" Drake cried excitedly._

_His webbed feet scraped the pavement and he quickly crossed the street, coming to a standstill in front of the building.  He leaned back in awe, gazing at its height.  While not the St. Canard Tower, it sure was a sight to behold._

_"Duckman Brothers Insurance," he read slowly, testing his developing literacy skills._

_The name held no significance with him, but no matter.  His parents were in there!  He burst through the doors, causing yet another pair of feet to trigger the silent alarm._

_Drake followed the sound of the angry shouts, and soon found the group of adults sprinting up a flight of stairs.  No way was he going to miss any of the action.  The little duckling joined in the chase.  He climbed the stairwell at top speed, and stopped for a breather at the top._

_"You've gotta be kiddin' me," he gasped, watching his parents continue up the dozens of staircases.  Shaking his head, he followed._

_*****_

_At long last, Drake Mallard reached the last flight of stairs.  Now both confused and exhausted, he opened the door in front of him, only to find himself on a rooftop._

_"Cool beans," he breathed.  He had never been on one of these before!_

_His head snapped up at the sound of his parents.  From behind the door, he could see them and four others all huddled around a shivering duck._

_"So Stones, why is it they call you 'The Snitch?'" cooed the especially large one in the middle, "Huh?  Tell me, I wanna know."_

_"I told you Tad – I d-didn't say a word," the terrified duck stammered._

_"Sure you didn't, and the cops just magically knew where all the meth was and who was handling it.  Of course Stones, how could I have been so naïve?"_

_"Go ahead, d-do your worst!  Anyone with eyes will be able to see you guys up here!"_

_"Don't fret, we'll make this one quick, well, at least for us," the large adult seethed, "Loose lips sink ships, and loose lips get blown to bits!  Jim and Cummings, you guys take the right.  Kathie, Sucie, you two take left.  Hooter, you stay with me."_

_The small owl stood obediently by the large figure, while Drake watched his parents move to their respected positions.  The duckling nearly fell over in shock when the two people he had trusted his entire life brandish guns and point them mercilessly at Stones' head._

_"All right Stones, it's time you learned that ruining crime doesn't pay – "_

_"NOW!"_

_Jim and Kathie Mallard leapt in front of Stones, standing like a wall between the victim and the hit men._

_"Mallards!  Get outta the way!  We got some target practice to do!" Sucie yelled._

_"Not today pal!" Jim declared sternly, "I'm afraid you're scheme has come to an end!"_

_"Way to be cliché, Jim," Kathie mumbled._

Drake felt his heart nearly burst with pride.  His parents weren't monsters, they were the good guys!  He was the son of heroes!

Negaduck gasped and woke up suddenly as a spasm passed through his body.  His heart was pounding and could not seem to take in enough air.  He shuddered and looked about his hideout.  Why did those memories have to revisit him?  Why could he not just lock them away and destroy the key?  He had to think of a way to block them, before he they went any further…

Negaduck shuddered once more.  Shaking his head, he pushed himself off the mattress and walked nervously to his bag of loot.  Negaduck rummaged through it until he came across a very expensive watch.  It was 6:12 pm, Lou should be ready by now.  A nice, long ride around town would sooth his nerves.

Negaduck tugged on his jacket and cape.  He put his hand up to his face, touching his mask reassuringly.  Still breathing heavily, the mallard snatched his hat and strode out into the sunset.

*~*~*~*

High above the city in Darkwing Tower, Drake Mallard popped his head through the green turtleneck, then made a frantic grab for his jacket.  He could not believe it – one of the most important cases of his life, and he almost slept right through it.  

No sooner had he bound the purple mask to his face when J. Gander Hooter's face burst onto the giant computer screen, a rare look of panic on his face.

Slightly taken aback by his abrupt entry, Darkwing quickly regained his composure.  In a strong, controlled voice he called, "What is it, J. Gander?"

Darkwing could here several screams in the background, along with many loud slams.  This was unusual, even for S.H.U.S.H.  Darkwing felt a slight pang of foreboding, and rightfully so.

"Darkwing, you must come quickly," Gander cried desperately, "SHUSH is under attack!"

The next thing Darkwing knew, a great explosion sounded behind J. Gander, and the screen went blank. 

NOTE:  Hope this one was long enough for ya Negsfan ;)  Anywho, for the Darkwing fans, don't worry, there will be a lot more of him in the next chapter.  For anyone looking forward to next chapter, thank you for one thing, and I will try to get out the next chapter as soon as I can.  School really blows. 


	11. Bullfighting

Disclaimer:  Let's do the math…the total amount of characters in this fic minus the characters I do not own equals…one!  I own one character in this fic, and guess who it is!  There you go Disney, mathematical proof that this is written without permission.

I love my reviewers!  Keep 'em coming!

*~*~*~*

Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins

I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed

I can't go on like this

I loathe all I've become

EVANESCENCE

*~*~*~*

Several pedestrians carrying groceries ambled down the sidewalk, ready for a nice, normal evening at home, eating a nice, normal dinner.  Suddenly the sound of squealing tires caused them to snap out of their monotonous reveries.  The civilians watched Darkwing Duck swing around a corner on his Ratcatcher, then continue to speed down the street.

"There's something wrong with him," a random pedestrian grumbled.

As Darkwing hurtled down the road, adrenaline-fueled thoughts pulsed through his brain.  There was no doubt that it was Taurus Bulba who was terrorizing S.H.U.S.H.  This was it, he was going to bring that bull to his knees once and for all.  Nothing could stand in his way.  He would stop Bulba or go down trying.

Go down?  But what about Gosalyn?  This time he did not even have the prospect of Launchpad taking care of her to fall back on.  Now more determined than ever, Darkwing heeded his daughter's suggestion.  He quickly punched in the watch code on the Ratcatcher's keypad.

*~*~*~*

Aviana sat on her ratty bed, her knees pulled tightly to her chest.  She stared blankly off into to space, seeing but not seeing, as she slowly ate cold ravioli out of a can.  The duckette contemplated last night's dream, or rather nightmare, analyzing every detail.  Why did it have to consume her, make her so dark and cold?

_BEEP!  BEEP!_

Aviana swore loudly, nearly jumping out of her skin.  The can flew out her hand, dousing her apartment in noodles.  She looked around wildly in an effort to locate the source of the noise.  As the beeping continued, she began to realize that the sound was coming from her arm.

"What the…"

Her eyes fell on the black watch attached to her wrist.  Comprehension dawned on her, and she pressed the blinking button on its face.

"Um…hello?" she said into the watch awkwardly.

"_Aviana!_" came a stressed voice, "_This is Darkwing Duck!_"

"Yeah."

"_SHUSH is being attacked, and I've got every reason to believe that Bulba's behind it!  Can you come help?_"

Aviana leapt to her feet.

"Of course I can!  Just give me directions."

"_Okay, I'll send you some via my onboard computer.  They should appear on the watch's screen.  Um, where are you?_"

"Black Fur Avenue."

"_Black Fur Avenue?  Why would you _– "

"Cheap rent."

"_Well I hope you know most of its clientele sign out in body bags._"

"Save it Darkwing.  Just give me the directions."

"_Already sent 'em.  Meet me at the entrance as soon as conceivably possible._"

"Gotcha."

The watch beeped once more, and rows of tiny print appeared on the screen.  Aviana squinted as she read it.

"Travel up Webbed Foot and Long…make a right at the stoplight…jeez, this is halfway across town!  I don't have a car!  I don't even have a bike!  How am I supposed to get there?  Unless…"

Pulling on a black hoodie, Aviana darted out the door.

*~*~*~*

"Worthless duck, thinks he's so tough, says he'll be here at six.  I bust my butt and it's almost 6:30.  Surprise surprise, no Negaduck in sight."

Lou Spindle aggressively tried to rub some of the grease off of his face, but only succeeded in smearing it further.  He had worked tirelessly for hours, pounding out dents, mending broken tubes, and replacing shattered glass.

"Well, if that blowhard thinks he can ever get anything off a' me again, he can just kiss my furry – "

"Hey you!"

"Huh?"

Lou looked up and saw Aviana come bursting into the garage.  Pushing her disheveled hair out of her eyes, she asked casually, "Can I borrow that motorcycle?"

The rat narrowed his eyes, then recognition appeared on his face.

"You're that chick who was here with Negaduck this morning."

"Good job.  Now can I have the bike?"

"No."

Aviana had been expecting this, and poured out her prepared speech slowly.

"You don't seem to comprehend what I'm saying.  Negaduck, the one running around in the mask and cape last night, sent me, the person here with him last night, to pick up the bike, brought by him last night, and return it to him."

 "So you're like a go between," Lou thought out loud.

"Precisely, so if you could just hand me the keys – "

"No."

"What?" Aviana gasped.

This she had not been prepared for.  Trying to gain lost ground, she questioned stupidly, "Why not?"

"Let's think.  Some chick comes barging in here claiming that Negaduck sent her to pick up his motorcycle.  No note, no call from Negaduck, nothing.  Said chick rides off with the bike, minutes later, Negaduck come in looking for the bike.  Seconds later, Lou is taking a nap on the floor with a bullet in his head while Negaduck goes searching for his precious motorcycle.  I don't think so," Lou said flatly, then continued to clean.

Aviana thought quickly.  She needed a ride, much like Negaduck needed his ride fixed earlier.  How did he get it?  By bluffing.

Putting on a false air of bravado and marching up to the rat, Aviana spun him around to face her.  Shoving her beak up into his face she declared, "All right pal, listen up!  I want that bike, and I want it now!  And I always get what I want!  Any objections?"

For a split-second the duckette thought he ploy had worked, but then Lou barked in what appeared to be his version of laughter.

"Ooooh, look at me, I'm shaking in my boots!  Ha, everyone watch out, bad temper on the loose!  Boy, that's rich!"

Lou shoved Aviana away from him and ambled to the motorcycle, still guffawing to himself.

Aviana wiped the rat's spit off her face, completely disgusted with him and herself.  It would have made her a hypocrite anyway, intimidating him like that.

Mumbling just loud enough for her to hear, Lou then said, "Women these days.  Think they can do whatever they want."

Aviana abruptly saw red.  Screw being a hypocrite, the rat was asking for it.  Now, how did that stupid duck do it?  He made it look so easy.  Then again, he _did_ have a weapon.  Aviana narrowed her eyes.  She had a weapon too.  Though she despised the weapon and did not have any intention of resorting to it, time was of the essence.  

Lou could hear the clunk of boots coming his way.  He looked up at Aviana with an amused expression on his face.

"Uh oh, here comes Ms. Scary!" he giggled.

The duckette's eyes turned cold as steel as she stared at his own, focusing all of her anger and aggression on his mind.

"You don't know the meaning of scary," she hissed.

Lou suddenly felt himself fill to the brim with a horrible, earth-shattering fear, rattling like a small child.

"No…no, g-get away from me!" he cried, tears streaming down his face.

He staggered backwards and tripped over a toolbox in the process.  Lou got to his feet clumsily, then ran out the door.

"MOMMY!" he screamed as he tore full speed down the street.

Aviana watched him go with a dark look on her face.  She pulled herself up onto the now pristine Troublemaker and searched for the keys.  After finding them on a nearby tray, she jammed them into the ignition.  She paused and gazed at the open garage door.  What was so super about a power that drove people away?

Shaking her head, she gunned the engine and rode out into the evening.

*~*~*~*

Negaduck trudged down the decrepit street, still shaken from his dream.  He could picture his father again, standing there right next to his – 

"MOMMY!"

Negaduck's head snapped up.  Lou the mechanic was now sprinting down the middle of the road screaming his lungs out.

"What the Hell…" the mallard murmured, then picked up his pace.  His motorcycle better be fixed, or that rat was going to be Doberman chow.

Negaduck gasped as Aviana suddenly swerved out of the garage on his motorcycle, then proceeded to drive in the opposite direction.

"What the Hell?!" he cried as he watched her speed away.

With a snarl of rage, he pursued the stolen vehicle.

"Hey!  You better hightail it back here or I'll – HEY!  Where do you think you're goin'?!  STOP!"

Negaduck's infuriated shouts fell on deaf ears.  While generally a fast runner, he was no match for his own motorcycle.

The black-masked mallard came to a halt, gasping for air.  That whack job, who did she think she was?  Nobody but nobody stole squat from Negaduck.  Or at least he liked to think so.

To add insult to injury, his various other assault vehicles, helicopters, tanks, etc, were all placed in strategic points throughout St. Canard, but he had been careless enough to leave none within the vicinity of his own hideout.

Negaduck let out a howl of frustration.  No way was he going to let her go joyriding on his Troublemaker while he stood in the middle of the street twiddling his thumbs.  He looked about, taking in his surroundings.  Nothing but tattered buildings, a couple of stray cats, and a group of hooligans trying to jump their truck's battery with…a minivan?

Negaduck squinted.  The group of dangerous, gruff-looking thugs all surrounded the obviously stolen shiny family.  The mallard looked around madly.  A station wagon, a moped, a scooter, _anything_ but a minivan to act as his salvation.  He was out of luck.  The family fun mobile was his only hope.

"So…which clamp goes where?" a hoodlum questioned thickly while holding the jumper cables.

"I dunno…put da negative one on da negative side, an um, da positive on da positive side."

"Which one's negative and which one's positive?"

"I dunno."

"Yeah well.  Here goes nothin',"

The hoodlum reached toward the minivan's battery, and the hood came crashing down on his hands with a disgusting '_crunch!_'

"YOOOOOWWWW!"

The hoodlum yanked his hands out and began hopping around, waving his arms frantically.

"Ha ha ha," the other thug guffawed, "serves ya – OWWWEEE!"

He was cut short by a violent pain in his shin followed by a sharp elbow in the gut.  As he doubled over, he caught sight of a black cape drifting noiselessly past him.

"What da…" he murmured.

The next thing the gang knew the minivan roared to life and they narrowly missed becoming street pizza as it sped away.

"Knobs," Negaduck seethed as he smothered the gas pedal.

He made a sharp turn onto the main road.  In the distance he could see the Troublemaker stopped at a red light.

"Yes!" Negaduck yelled triumphantly.

As if to spite him, the light changed to green.

"Crud," he muttered dejectedly.

However, Aviana made a right turn.  Negaduck knew the city much better then she, and he also knew that the road she had taken could only lead her to Highwing Boulevard.  And she was taking the long way.

"Ha, no one messes with my wheels and gets away with it!"

*~*~*~*

For the second time in two days, S.H.U.S.H. agents found themselves in a state of turmoil.  Their mortal enemies, the eggmen, swarmed through their halls like bees.  Under normal circumstances this would have been an even match of epic proportions.  However, given that the eggmen were super-powerful zombies, the fight was a bit one-sided.

Darkwing Duck stood outside the once majestic building in a state of shock.  The windows were shattered, and holes like gaping mouths speckled the walls.  S.H.U.S.H. agents scurried about outside, trying to make contact with anyone who could provide the help they so desperately needed.  The sounds of explosions and primitive combat rattled through the air.

Screeching tires soon joined the mass of frightening sounds.  Darkwing turned around.  He was surprised to see Aviana atop an infamous motorcycle.

"Wow," she commented to herself, "for a first time on a motorcycle, maiming only two hydrants and one street sign wasn't that bad."

Darkwing tapped his foot and crossed his arms.  His sour face completed his peeved ensemble.

"Gee, I sure am glad you could make it!  I tried to tell the eggmen to wait until you got here, but you know them, they just can't be reasoned with," he said sarcastically.

Aviana snapped back defensively, "Hey, lay off!  For someone coming across town without a ride, I'd say I did pretty good, wouldn't you?"

"Speaking of rides, why were you on Negaduck's bike?"

"Good question Dingwing!"

The crime fighter looked over his shoulder to see his double hop out of a minivan.  Darkwing smirked.

"Your turn to carpool?" he asked with a grin.

Negaduck strolled up to him and promptly tugged the gray fedora down over his eyes.  As Darkwing struggled with the hat, the black-masked mallard faced off with Aviana.

"So, think you're funny huh?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just a laugh a minute," Aviana replied cynically.

"Just what in Satan's name do you think you're doing with my bike?"

"I needed a ride, so I stole it you idiot.  I didn't think that would be such a foreign concept to you."

"People don't steal from Negaduck.  Negaduck steals from people!"

"So you're saying that you can dish it out but you can't take it, is that it?!"

Darkwing finally managed to pull the hat off his head.  He readjusted it to the proper angle, then marched over to the intense argument. Before any mauling could begin, he forced them apart and stepped boldly in between them. 

"Sorry Neggsie, but the adults have to talk now.  So just run along and play nicely!" he announced.

Negaduck snarled menacingly, but Darkwing simply turned his back to him and faced Aviana.

"All right Miss Gadwall, let's get down to business.  Judging by the lack of lighting and triggering of SHUSH's security mechanisms, I've concluded that Bulba and his eggmen must have destroyed the power grid.  This means we're gonna have to get past the creep crew before we can get to Bulba.  My keen deductive abilities also inform me that when we _do _reach him, he'll use the Devil's Eye on us.  Got anything for the ol' modus operandi?" Darkwing spouted.

"Well, the key thing is that the Devil's Eye can only do serious damage if you look at it.  So if you hear the cyborg start chanting that incantation, make sure to close your eyes.  Other than that, the Eye itself won't be a problem.  It's the soulless eggmen we really have to worry about."  

"That's easy," Negaduck cut in, "We bomb him.  I can use high explosives, Darkwing's buddy's gone, your rock's gone, the zombies are gone.  Everyone wins."

"Wow Fuzzy, that would be a stupendous plan if we lived in a world where stupid ideas actually worked," Aviana snapped much to the displeasure of the mallard, "we need to keep the Devil's Eye _intact_ if we want to stop this whole thing."

"Besides Negawedge, I thought I heard you say the word 'we.'  The only 'we' that I see here is Miss Gadwall and me.  As a rule I try not to let psychotic felons tag along with me, and you're on the top of that list," Darkwing said haughtily.

"Aw Ditzwing, that really hurt."

"Who ya callin' 'Ditzwing' Megadope?"

"Who do ya think, Darkwing Dufus!"

"Watch it Negadolt!"

"You watch it Dipwing!"

"SHUT UP!"

The two mallards froze in their poised-to-strike positions and turned to a red-faced Aviana.

"What is wrong with you two?!" she roared.

"It's not my fault he picked a name that's so easy to ridicule!" Darkwing and Negaduck cried in unison.

"Fine!  Let's all stand here and call each other names while Taurus Bulba takes over the world!" the duckette screeched.

"You're right!" Darkwing declared while shoving Negaduck away from him, "Let's show that scheming scoundrel what happens when you mess with my favorite secret organization!  C'mon, there's an underground entrance that only I, Launchpad, a select group of environmental rights activists know about.  Follow me!"

Aviana nodded.

"Okay, let's go.  You too Negaduck."

"What?" Darkwing and Negaduck yelped.

"Oh c'mon.  The place is crawling with those eggmen.  We're going to need all the help we can get," she replied.

"Sorry, but I don't 'help' the happy heroes.  I'm already contaminated with enough of your noble nonsense as it is," Negaduck said.

"Fine, have it your way, I'm sick of dealing with you anyway," Aviana snarled, "Let's go Darkwing."

Negaduck watched the two head toward the S.H.U.S.H. building.  There was a rage boiling inside of him, but he did not understand why.  Then again, unfounded rage was not uncommon with him, so he shrugged it off.  He turned to leave, but collided with someone immense.

"Watch it, you knob!" Negaduck barked, raising a fist above his head.

Suddenly Negaduck froze.  His eyes traveled up a yellow jumpsuit to a sickly face.  He had to lean backwards as he stared at the largest eggman he had seen to date.  The drone shook his gigantic head and looked down as if to check if something had brushed against him.  He caught sight of the mallard, and beak contorted into a grimace.  Before Negaduck could react, the eggman quickly snatched him up, let out an inhuman growl, and heaved him into the air.

*~*~*~*

"Gee, for a building under siege, you would think it would be a bit more chaotic," Darkwing commented nervously.

"You would think," Aviana agreed.  

The two crept silently down a black hall.  Moonlight filtered in through the open windows, reflecting eerily on the pieces of shattered glass.  For all the commotion before, it was oddly quiet with the exception of two pairs of feet tiptoeing cautiously down the hall.  They had yet to have a run in with a single eggman, causing Darkwing Duck's suspicions to rise. Aviana kept alert, knowing she would feel a lot less uneasy had there been a third member to their party.

Darkwing's head perked up as he heard the sound of muffled voices coming from the door next to them.

"Sssshhhh!" he hissed.

Aviana rolled her eyes knowing that the place could not possibly be any more silent, but Darkwing flattened the side of his head against the door.

"Hmmm," he muttered as he listened, "sounds like there's something afoot in the other room…it must be Bulba!  Okay, the first chance I get, I'll blast him with some Knockout Gas.  Even if it doesn't put him down for the count, it'll at least stun him.  Then we'll grab the Devil's Eye, got it?"

"Got it."

"Let's get dangerous!"

Just as Darkwing prepared to charge, Aviana noticed movement of the corner of her eye.  She looked out the open window to her right.

"Incoming!" she cried frantically.

Aviana ducked as a yellow and black blur sailed over her and collided with Darkwing.  She lifted her head warily and was surprised to see Darkwing and Negaduck now in a tangled mess on the floor.

"This is not helping!" Darkwing griped, trying to extricate himself from the disarray.  

Negaduck blinked dazedly and shook his head.  At long last he noticed Darkwing Duck sitting next to him, and scowled.

"Get offa me!" he bellowed, and gave his opposite a sharp kick that sent him flying.

The black-masked mallard pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his jacket.  

"Nice entrance," Aviana muttered.

Darkwing quickly zipped back to the two ducks, shaking with anger.

"How did _you_ get here?!" 

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Negaduck said simply.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Darkwing yelled, "I don't care how you got here or what you're going to do Negaschmuck, I've got a fiend to foil.  C'mon Aviana!"

With that, Darkwing flung open the door and disappeared in a plume of blue smoke.  

"Where'd he go?" Aviana questioned, clearly irritated.

"Who cares," Negaduck replied.

They gazed through the open door.  From their vantage point they could see the hulking form of Taurus Bulba amidst a crowd of eggmen, all of who seemed to surround two trapped figures.

"I must admit, you both display some intelligence in your ability to survive this long," Bulba uttered in a voice saturated with evil, "tis a pity you must die."

J. Gander Hooter glared up at the bull, his face full of defiance.  Sarah Bellum stood behind him, unsure whether to be frightened or fascinated by the repulsive eggmen surrounding them.

Taurus Bulba charged his blaster arm.

"Say goodbye to your pointless lives…"

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

Back in the doorway, Aviana's brow furrowed.

"He's go to be kidding," she stated in a shocked voice.

"One could only hope," Negaduck returned through clenched teeth, his blood pressure steadily rising.

"I am the dentist's drill for the cavities of crime!  I, am Darkwiiiing Duck!"

 "Didn't see that one comin'," Negaduck said blandly.

Darkwing's stepped forward through the trademark blue smoke, his figure appearing through the wisps dramatically. 

"Let them go Bulba!  It's me you've got the score to settle with!"

Taurus Bulba chuckled amiably and spoke to J. Gander and Dr. Bellum in his accented voice.

"Why, look what we have here!  It's my dear friend Darkwing Duck.  And he's come just in time for the party games!"

"Excellent!  I'm the guest, so I pick the first game.  How 'bout truth or dare?  And I dare you to suck gas!" Darkwing yelled, whipping out his gas gun.

He squeezed the trigger and lobbed a well-aimed gas cartridge at his nemesis.

"Eggmen!" the bull ordered swiftly, "smother it!"

Two drones leapt forward and caught the pellet of gas, which issued a cloud of smoke.  The eggmen stood in the gas casually, eagerly awaiting their next order.

Taurus looked to the mallard and snarled, "Nice attempt Darkwing, but now it's my turn.  I choose truth.  Here is my question:  do you enjoy fried duck?"

With that, two lasers exploded from his helmet weapons.  Darkwing quickly dove to the left.  The lasers flew past him, but not without leaving a sizzling hole in his cape.  As he fanned the smoking cloth, he could hear Negaduck's taunting cackling in the background.  Darkwing glowered at his opposite momentarily, then shouted to the duckette, "Uh, Aviana, a little help here!"

Meanwhile, Negaduck was still sniggering at Darkwing's misfortune.

"Hey, cut it out!" Aviana snapped, and he threw her a stunned look.

"He's got guts to go and face that cyborg like that," she continued, "and I have to help him anyway if I want the Devil's Eye.  Now c'mon – "

"Hold it!  I'm not going anywhere.  I can't see how this situation benefits me in any way, shape, or form," Negaduck said.

Aviana rolled her eyes.

"For Chrissake!  Can't you vacate the land of Negaduck for just five friggin' minutes?  I told you before – if you help me get the Devil's Eye I'll have Darkwing groveling at your feet!"

"I can do that any time I feel like it.  He's not but child's play.  Why do you want that thing so bad anyhow?" Negaduck asked skeptically.

A temporary flash of hesitation passed over Aviana's face and she stuttered uncharacteristically, "I, um, I – "

Her ramblings were cut off, however, by a magnificent growl.  Negaduck and Aviana whipped around and came face to face with a soulless Launchpad.  His eyes gleamed red, and he looked more sickly and pale than ever.  With another frightening snarl, he grabbed Negaduck by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"I never liked you," Negaduck stated flatly, staring down at the hideous face.

"You fool!" Taurus Bulba suddenly roared to Launchpad, "I ordered you to get Darkwing Duck!  _He_ is not Darkwing Duck!"

The zombie-like Launchpad frowned and cocked his head at Negaduck, who gave him a menacing look.  The mallard kicked and strained to free himself, but to no avail.  The pilot's grip was like iron.

Aviana looked around the lab for anything useful.  Finally she spotted what looked like a fork, with the exception of a trigger on the handle.  

"What's this!" she shouted to no one in particular as she picked it up.

Though still surrounded by eggmen, Sarah Bellum called back, "It's the Electro-Spaz Conductor Gun.  It sends shockwaves through the body that cause it to go into momentary spasms and lockjaw.  It's quite useful when you want to move up in line at the grocery store."

"Thanks!" Aviana yelled.

She tossed the small gun to Negaduck.

"Here! This might help!"

Negaduck caught the conductor and pressed it to Launchpad's exposed neck and squeezed the trigger.  Launchpad let out a strangled noise as his jaw clenched and his body shook uncontrollably.  His vice-grip on Negaduck loosened slightly and the black-masked mallard swiftly squirmed from his grasp.

"Perfect," Aviana said as she seized the gun from Negaduck's hand.

She made a beeline to the two trapped scientists.  Not wanting to stick around for Launchpad to finish his spasms, Negaduck followed.

"All right fellas!" Aviana shouted to the drones encircling Gander and Bellum, "I've got an Electro-Spaz Conductor Gun and I'm not afraid to use it!"

The drones began advancing slowly.  Negaduck came to a halt beside the duckette.

"And seeing how it's about fifty soulless eggmen to one tiny fork, I'd say they aren't very afraid either," he hissed.

With the eggmen successfully distracted, Darkwing saw his chance.  He loaded a Knockout cartridge into his gas gun and shouted, "All right you mechanical milk-maker, the party's over!"

Darkwing fired, sending the cartridge searing towards Bulba.  The cyborg quickly turned, deflecting the pellet off of his armored shoulder.  It bounced back and hit the floor between Darkwing, Negaduck, and Aviana, exploding on impact.

"Uh oh," Darkwing squeaked nervously.

The red mist spread rapidly, soon engulfing the web-footed crew.  Through the haze, Darkwing could see Aviana drop the conductor and fall limply against Negaduck.  The black-masked mallard looked up at his opposite wearily and managed to grumble, "You moron," before collapsing to the floor.

Darkwing desperately tried not to inhale, but the smoke inevitably worked its way into his nostrils.  His vision began to cloud and his mind emptied.  The crime fighter's knees gave way beneath him, and the sound of the cyborg's hateful cackling echoed in his head as his consciousness slipped away.  

NOTE:  I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  As you can see I really don't have anything to say.


	12. A Magical Evening

Disclaimer:  Okay, if anyone honestly thinks I own Darkwing and company…

Again, my reviewers, you know who you are, and I can't thank you enough.  And to those who are reading this and have yet to review, well, what are you waiting for?!

*~*~*~*

Fallen angels at my feet

Whispered voices at my ear

Death before my eyes

Lying next to me I fear

She beckons me

Shall I give in

Upon my end shall I begin

Forsaking all I've fallen for 

I rise to meet my end

EVANESCENCE

*~*~*~*

"You traitorous piece of scum!  You make me sick!  See Drake, this is where heroism leads you!"

_"No, don't listen to him, virtue is its own reward!"_

Darkwing sluggishly opened an eye.  His eyelids felt like lead, and the slightest movement was a struggle all its own.  When he finally managed to slightly open his eye, he half expected to still be atop that building, his father hovering over him…

Instead, the bright lights reflected off of the shiny S.H.U.S.H. lab tables and into his eye, producing an instant headache.  The crime fighter quickly squeezed his eye shut.  His mind swam and a wave of nausea passed over him.  Where was he?  What was going on?

His brain seemed to work at snail speed with the occasional spark of a synapse.  Darkwing felt as though a hammer inside his head was entertaining itself by pounding against his skull. 

The mallard tried to rub his temples only to find that his arms would not budge.  He looked down lazily and noticed he was bound tightly to a lab table with a thick black cord.

"Great," he muttered drearily.

Suddenly Darkwing heard a soft moan beside him.  He painstakingly turned his head and discovered Aviana bound shoulder to shoulder next to him.  She shifted slightly, her eyes still closed, but on the verge of waking up.

The sight of her caused the memories to slowly return.  Darkwing shut his eyes as well, forcing his aching brain into action.  The memories came gradually at first, then began to snowball.  Taurus Bulba…he was facing Taurus Bulba…J. Gander and Dr. Bellum were trapped…Bulba shot at him…made a hole in his cape…ah jeez, that was the fourth cape in two weeks…he shouted to Aviana…Bulba sent Launchpad to attack him…but instead he attacked…oh no…

Darkwing groaned and looked reluctantly over his other shoulder.  Sure enough, there sat his mirror image, bound as well.  As if on cue, Negaduck slowly turned his head and met Darkwing's gaze.  His eyes became cold and narrowed beneath the black mask.

"You…" Negaduck seethed in a low hiss, "this is all your fault."

"What?!  Who are you trying to kid?!"  Darkwing retorted.

"No one you bonehead!  You couldn't have screwed things up worse if you tried!  It's actually come to the point where I bank on you tripping over your own stupid feet in order to get away!  A guy could set his watch to your little 'whoopsies.'  But the worst part is, I've had to spend more time with you than I would have ever liked the past couple of days, and it makes me sick that I let you live!  I can't believe I let myself be lead into this whole heroic adventure crap!  If I could move my arms right now, I would rip out your damn throat with my bare hands!" Negaduck roared.

Darkwing said nothing for a moment, as if letting his opposite's speech sink in.  He then said calmly, "Are you quite finished?"

Lucky for him, and the rest of St. Canard for that matter, Negaduck was securely strapped to the table.  His blood pressure soared off the charts as he struggled vainly against the ropes, screaming a slew of select words in Darkwing's face.  His outburst came to an abrupt end, and he stared his own reflection in the eyes with a chilling intensity.

"I'll kill you," Negaduck said in a frighteningly level voice.

Darkwing stared back, unfazed.  

"Temper temper," the crime fighter chided, "considering that I seem to get a death threat from you approximately once a week, I'll let that one slide.  Now why don't you put all of that extra bloodthirsty energy into getting us free?"

"I'm not doing anything.  _You're _the idiot that got me stuck here!" Negaduck returned.

"Oh yeah?  Well I didn't see you exactly leaping to stop Taurus Bulba!  I didn't force you to tag along either.  You came on your own accord.  If I didn't know better I'd say you were following _her _around," Darkwing declared, jerking his head in Aviana's direction.

Negaduck leaned forward the best he could and looked around Darkwing.  His face hardened.  Then, taking advantage of his free feet, he dealt Darkwing a hefty kick to the shin.

"Am not!" Negaduck shouted.

"OW!" Darkwing Duck cried indignantly.

The masked mallard retaliated by kicking Negaduck in the shin and adding a "Take that!"

"HEY!  Why you…"

While Negaduck and Darkwing continued to damage each other's shins, Aviana finally came to.  Her head was throbbing, and Darkwing's constant bumping her shoulder did not help.  She turned and head and witnessed the childish booting fest.

"Wow guys, that's really low.  I had hoped you were at least above playing footsie," she drawled wearily.

"He started it!" Negaduck and Darkwing retorted simultaneously.

"Oh Christ…" Aviana mumbled, shutting her eyes and leaning her head back.

At long last she sighed and opened her eyes once more.  For the first time she noticed what looked like a giant hose pointing right at them.  This could not be good.

"Um, guys…" Aviana called nervously.

 The two mallards continued their bickering.

"Guys…"

More bickering.

"EVERYONE WEARING A MASK AND CAPE!  EYES FRONT!"

Negaduck and Darkwing ceased their quarrelling and faced forward.

"Whoa," Darkwing breathed incredulously.

The massive form of Taurus Bulba emerged from the shadows, the moonlight reveling in the malicious glint of his eye.  He strode forth, each clank of his metal boots echoing harshly in Darkwing's head.  He stopped and leaned forward until he was an inch from the mallard's face.

"You do not know how much I have _craved_ this moment Darkwing Duck," he whispered evilly.

The crime fighter glared back at him fearlessly, too angry for words.  Negaduck watched them carefully, knowing from Darkwing's body language just how livid he really was.  This was going to be interesting.

"Now, I suppose you three would love to know just what is the contraption you see here before you," the cyborg said, gesturing to the hose-like object, "well, let me say this:  my invasion of FOWL was not all about revenge.  It seems that in their research, FOWL has discovered a recipe for pain…"

The three imprisoned ducks exchanged dark glances.  While Taurus Bulba continued his speech, Darkwing began discreetly maneuvering towards his inconspicuous cufflinks.

"FOWL has concocted a chemical that causes instant and, ahem, _intense_ pain on contact.  Coupled with SHUSH's 'brilliant' machinery – " Bulba glanced at the hose, then to J. Gander and Dr. Bellum, who sat bound in a corner, " – my eggmen and I have created an ideal torture device." 

Taurus paused for a moment, letting the full weight of his words settle on the mallard's shoulders.

"So the choice is yours Darkwing Duck:  I can spray you all with the chemical and subject you to horrific pain, or, you can avoid the torture altogether by telling me the whereabouts of a certain little girl," the cyborg said, finishing with a twisted smile.

Darkwing's eyes widened.  Gosalyn.  Why would anyone want to hurt Gosalyn?  He was facing a monster.

Straining against his bonds Darkwing spat defiantly, "I'll never tell!"

Taurus Bulba chuckled grimly.

"I did not think so.  Ah well, I will just have to inflict terrible pain on all of you until you do."

"Splendid," Negaduck muttered sarcastically.

"You," Bulba hissed, facing the black-masked mallard, "I do not know who you are or why you are here.  I do know that it will bring me great joy to see you suffer."

The cyborg turned to Aviana.

"And you.  I do not know who you are either, but any friend of this meddler deserves to be punished."

The duckette locked eyes with him and gave him a harsh glare.  The bull jumped from the strong pulse of fear, then quickly regained his senses.  Darkwing looked at Aviana quizzically, but Negaduck just grinned.

Without another word Bulba marched over to the machine.  He started flicking switches and turbines began churning.

"So Dorkwing, how's the heroic escape coming along?" Negaduck whispered.

"I'm trying to use my buzz saw cufflinks, but I just…can't…reach them," Darkwing replied, still straining for the buttons.

"Well that's just perfect!" Negaduck barked, "every other time you're able to weasel your way out!  But the one time, the _one time_, I'm actually trapped with you when you're on the brink of disaster, you can't escape.  Perfect."

"Any last words, duck?" Taurus Bulba asked from behind the machine.

"Only that when I get home I'm having a big chunk of roast beef," Darkwing answered slyly.

The bull ground his teeth and growled, "G_oo_salyn will pay," then pulled a lever on the weapon.

Darkwing closed his eyes, praying silently that he would not let where he and his daughter lived slip while he was in pain.  He felt Negaduck tense and heard Aviana take in a preparatory gulp of air.  There was an odd tinkling sound followed by a loud '_POOM!_'

Suddenly Darkwing could feel himself become covered in a dust-like substance.  The powder entered his nose and throat, sending him into a hacking fit.  This powdery stuff must be the chemical.  Darkwing clenched his fists, waiting for the agony to begin.

A few painless seconds later, the crime fighter heard Negaduck question hesitantly, "Is it just me, or does this stuff taste like chocolate?"

Darkwing blinked.  He looked down and saw his entire body coated in a brown powder.  He glanced at Aviana and Negaduck, who both were equally covered in the dust.

"No!" Taurus Bulba bellowed, "What happened?  Eggmen, what went wrong?"

Darkwing stared blankly, surprised to see the cyborg just as confused as he was.

"Hey, this is pudding mix!" Aviana commented pleasantly.

Darkwing Duck's heart froze.  Over the years he had learned that unexpected pudding could only mean one thing.

The masked mallard searched the room.  It did not take long before he caught sight of the raven black hair, flowing scarlet dress, and emerald green eyes of Morgana Macabre.

Within the second Negaduck discovered the sorceress as well.

"Oh Satan no," he wailed.

"Morgana!" Darkwing shrieked incredulously, "What are you doing here?!"

Morgana said nothing, and instead gazed down to her side.  Quiverwing Quack appeared from behind her, waving to her father sheepishly.

Darkwing's jaw dropped.

"Quiverwing…MORGANA!  How could you let her come along?"

"She didn't want me to, honest!  I came on my own!" Quiverwing countered quickly.

"She insisted that you needed help, so I came.  But if you think my aid is below you, I'll gladly leave," Morgana said with an irate edge in her voice.

Darkwing regarded her coldly and said, "Well you're here now, aren't you?  Ya might as well make yourself useful."

Morgana's eyes flared dangerously.

"Make myself useful?  Fine!"

The sorceress launched a spectacular firebolt at Darkwing.  It hit the mallard square in the chest, leaving him a charred mess and the piece of cord a pile of ashes.

"Interesting," Aviana mused.

"Ditto," Negaduck muttered, grinning at his smoking opposite.

"Impressive," Taurus Bulba added, "I think I like this witch.  Eggmen, subdue her.  She may come in handy."

A group of eggmen lurched forward.  Morgana gasped.

"They look just like one of my second cousins!" she remarked spontaneously.

"Don't worry, I got 'em!"

Quiverwing Quack loaded a glue arrow into her bow and fired.  It struck an oncoming eggman and exploded, ensaring the group in the sticky goo.

"Quiverwing Quack always sticks it to the bad guys!" she announced elatedly.

The still lightly browned Darkwing Duck marched up to the two newcomers with a stern look on his face.  

"All right Morgana, thanks for the 'help.'  Now may I ask that you please take Gos – Quiverwing home immediately.  I'll handle Bulba on my own."

"Honestly Darkwing, one would think that for someone with a head as big as yours you would be able to remember what happens when you ignore other's aid by now," Morgana rejoined.

Meanwhile, Taurus Bulba was steadily losing patience with the situation.  He was beginning to associate the scene before him with a cheesy soap opera.  Before Darkwing could announce that he had a long lost sister in Botswana, the cyborg sent a wave of eggmen at the crew.  They lumbered towards the ducks like tourists to a gift shop, grunting and growling in a threatening manner.

Watching the zombies carefully, Aviana came to Darkwing's side 

"Okay, be prepared for a fight," Darkwing told her.

"Are you kidding?  We can't fight all of them, they're way too strong," Aviana retorted.

Morgana chimed in pleasantly, "Need some help?"

"Be my guest," Darkwing growled through a false smile.

With a triumphant grin the sorceress unleashed a spell from her fingertips.  The condensed energy sliced through the air like a knife before striking the herd of assaulting eggmen.  A split second later and the zombies were encased in a gigantic block of ice.

Morgana raised an eyebrow at Darkwing Duck and placed her hands on her hips.  The mallard glared back, trying to salvage his dignity.

"All right, listen up!" he shouted, "Quiverwing, I'll deal with you later, you just find a safe place and don't move from it under any circumstances!  Aviana, I need you to free J. Gander and Dr. Bellum over there.  Morgana, I don't care what you do.  As for me, I'm taking care of that cynical cyborg."

Quiverwing Quack grumbled something inaudible and trudged behind a lab table while Darkwing dashed towards the bull.  Aviana and Morgana regarded each other awkwardly before Negaduck suddenly came to a halt beside them.  Morgana's eyes widened.

"_You!_" she cried, then hurled a spell at him without warning.

It struck him full in the face, sending the mallard reeling backwards.

Aviana grimaced then cocked an eyebrow in Morgana's direction.  As the sorceress victoriously cooled a smoking finger, Aviana jogged over to where the masked mallard lay.

Negaduck propped himself up on his elbows and gazed in shock at his body.  A thick layer of slick, chunky slime covered him from head to toe, and, combined with his coating of pudding mix, made him look like a reject from the black lagoon.

Aviana kneeled next to him and admired Morgana's handiwork.

"Girlie, meet Morgana, the banshee from Hell," Negaduck introduced flatly.

"She does a mean sludge attack.  You really reek," Aviana commented, lifting a grime-covered wrist to her face.

"Not as bad as your shoes do," Negaduck quipped.

Aviana shoved him playfully.

"Quiet you."

Suddenly the duckette heard the unmistakable sound of a polite-but-irritated clearing of the throat.  She glanced over her shoulder and spied the tightly bound J. Gander and Sarah Bellum glaring at her impatiently.

"Oh yeah," she mumbled guiltily, "c'mon, help me untie them."

Negaduck pushed himself to his feet.  He began walking, only to have his own webbed feet slip out form under him.  In a desperate attempt to regain his balance he ran frantically in place.  His arms flailed helplessly as if he was trying to grab a firm handhold on the air.  He slipped and slid on Morgana's slime until finally both feet shot up into the air and he landed gracelessly on his back.

"I hate that witch," Negaduck said tersely, staring at the ceiling.  

Aviana leaned over him and said without a smile, "That was the most humorous thing I've seen in a long time."

"Close your beak and help me up," Negaduck snapped, the agitation clear in his voice.

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Fine.  Refrain from speaking and kindly aid me to my feet."

"And _that_ was the most humorous thing I've heard in a long time."

Aviana extended her hand and grasped his slimy one, only to have it slip free.  She tried again with both hands, but she could not get a firm grip, and the mallard landed with a wet '_splat!_'

Still lying on the floor, Negaduck snarled in frustration.  Aviana stood uncomfortably torn between the two scientists helplessly trapped by heavy black cords and the grown mallard having a temper tantrum because he could not stand up.  She made her decision quickly.

"Okay, I'm going to help those guys, you, well, you just try and, um, get up."

The duckette left to offer her services to the S.H.U.S.H. members.  Negaduck began swiping the cold slime from his feet, mentally picturing a series of atrocious horrors befalling an unfortunate witch.

*~*~*~*

"Whatsa matter, is the big, bumbling bull befuddled because he's being beaten by the someone who's better and braver?"

"Do not bore me with your juvenile wordplay, duck!"

Another powerful laser blast exploded from the end of the cyborg's multitalented arm, which the masked mallard deftly avoided.

"You couldn't hit Canard tower with a tennis racket, let alone me, you plump pushover!" Darkwing Duck jeered.

"We will see about that.  Say goodbye to your tailfeathers!" Taurus Bulba roared back.

He fired another searing blast.  Darkwing leapt into the air and the laser zipped under his feet.  The crime fighter landed gracefully, blowing on his nails and polishing them casually on his jacket.

"Child's play," Darkwing sighed, then added with a smirk, "and by the way, I like my steak well done."

From her spectator position Morgana rolled her eyes, but found she could not hold back a smile.  Though he was a self-absorbed, parochial jerk, Darkwing always managed to be a very charming, very cute self-absorbed, parochial jerk.

Suddenly Morgana noticed the bull remove a dark, spherical object from a compartment in his armor.  It glistened ominously, and the mists swirling within it exemplified its frightening beauty.  Something sparked inside the sorceress.  It felt as if she had known about the orb her entire life, like she possessed an inner connection with it.  At the same time the orb stirred a deep emotions within her, a bittersweet pain so exquisite in its strength and longing that she felt tears burn in her eyes.

Morgana noticed the cyborg's lips move as he whispered to the mysterious orb.  To her surprise, the sluggish eggmen flanking the bull became very alert, and their heads all locked simultaneously on Darkwing.  Letting loose a string of uncanny roars, they lumbered towards the mallard.

"Darkwing, look out!" she cried automatically.

He turned to the sorceress and exclaimed sarcastically, "Oh, so now it's 'Darkwing look out' is it?  Listen Morgana, I've been in this biz for awhile, I think I'm aware of my surround – YIPES!"

At long last the crime fighter noted the massive group of soulless eggmen heading his way.  He backed up warily, his mind reeling with possible ideas for escape, but all were useless.  Boy, he wished Launchpad was here.

Before anyone could say, "let's get dangerous," a green haze of a spell struck the eggmen.  A mass of leafy, green vines suddenly sprouted from midair and began swarming around the drones.  The eggmen struggled, breaking through the jungle of creepers, only to be entangled by more.

"There, that ought to keep them busy," Morgana proclaimed with satisfaction, then turned to Bulba, "and as for you big boy, inhale some incantation!"

The sorceress fired yet another spell, and it went searing towards Taurus.  The bull quickly made use of his very bulky but very reflective shoulder, and the spell ricocheted off it and hurtled back at a startled Morgana.  Her own magic struck her and in a flash she found herself transformed into a tiny, scarlet-furred kitten.

Morgana the kitten sighed and shut her eyes, concentrating heavily.

"Okay…spell reversal, spell reversal, spell reversal…"

Darkwing and Taurus Bulba stared at the ball of fur, both bewildered and disturbed.  Finally the cyborg chuckled evilly.

"Ha, how cute.  Your lady friend has become a real cat.  Just what you have always wanted, I'm sure," Bulba said to the mallard snidely.

Darkwing ground his teeth and his fists clenched involuntarily.

Bulba smiled evilly as the mallard's vulnerability came to light.  Hurting _him_ was not the answer.  Now the tables had turned.

"And while we are speaking of the women in your life duck, why don't we talk about G_oo_salyn?"

"Let's not and say we didn't," Darkwing snarled, loosing his cool.

Taurus Bulba smiled and cooed, "Oh, but she is such an interesting topic!  A little girl so foolhardy that she practically begs to be a victim for the 'righteous hero' to come and rescue.  Tell me Darkwing, how do you put up with such an annoying, unwanted setback?"

Darkwing growled, "For your information, Gosalyn is not annoying and certainly not unwanted.  She has more value in her pinky than you have in your whole, chunky body!"

Meanwhile, Quiverwing crept silently to Morgana the kitten's side, watching the dispute intently.  She was both touched and worried by her father's vehement defense of her – touched by knowing that there was someone who cared that much for her, but worried that Darkwing would blow a gasket and do something stupid.  She hastily looked down at Morgana the kitten.

"Um, Morgana, think you can change yourself back to something that doesn't need a litter box and help Dad?"

"I'm trying to," Morgana the kitten assured, "as soon as I can remember the right spell I'll go help that pighead…I think I got it."

Morgana the kitten took a deep breath, the fur on her back rising.

"Sugnoma sugnuf!"

A large puddle of gooey, orange ectoplasm appeared on the floor, bubbling listlessly.

"Hmm, that wasn't it," Morgana the kitten purred calmly, "okay…counter spells, counter spells, counter spells…"

Aviana, J. Gander, and Dr. Bellum arrived beside the duckling and the kitten.

"How's Darkwing doing…Morgana?" Aviana asked skeptically, picking up the ball of fur and holding it to her face.

"Yes it's me.  Now put me down so I can change myself back before I start getting hairballs," the adorable face hissed crossly.

Dr. Bellum gasped and snatched Morgana the kitten from Aviana's hands.

"Incredible!" she breathed, "How did you accomplish this transfiguration?  A molecular disrupter?"

The kitten's hackles rose as she hissed and spat ferociously, but Dr. Bellum continued to hold the small bundle of joy and stare at it in awe.

Negaduck slid to a halt on his slime-slick feet next to the crew.  He took one look at the scarlet kitten before cackling viciously.

"How's it hangin' Fluffy?" he gasped, clutching his side.

Morgana the kitten lowered her ears and glared at the mallard.

"Shut up!"

Suddenly a laser sizzled over their heads.  The startled gang turned their attention to the two dueling enemies.

"I will find G_oo_salyn!  I will make her die a slow, tortured death, while you watch!  I will make the both of you pay for turning my life into a hell!" Taurus Bulba roared to the crime fighter.

"You'll never hurt Gosalyn!" Darkwing shouted back defiantly.

The two watched each other fixedly, looks of the truest loathing on their faces.  Bent on wounding the mallard enough to get the upper hand, Bulba concentrated his rage and fired another shot from his laser cannon. Darkwing backpedaled feverishly.

  The good thing was that he avoided the burning hot laser.  The bad thing was that he slipped backwards dramatically on Morgana's ectoplasm, causing him to fall on his back.  The air was punched from his lungs and he smacked his head on the solid floor in the process.

Blinking dreamily, he mused, "No, I've had enough potato salad, thanks."

Bulba's eye came alive with sick glee.  He dashed forward and stood above the fallen crime fighter.

"No Darkwing.  I won't hurt G_oo_salyn.  You will." 

While the dazed Darkwing Duck pushed himself to his elbows and tried to register these words in his swimming brain, the cyborg thrust the Devil's Eye in his face.

"_Kcu dehts nwadyl krad!_" Taurus Bulba hissed quickly.

"Cover your eyes!" Aviana screamed.

Quiverwing did not listen.  She couldn't.  Without thinking Aviana hid the girl's brilliant green eyes with her hand, and quickly closed her own tight.

Darkwing on the other hand was too stunned from his fall to heed the duckette's warning.  He stared directly into the orb as it glowed a dazzling white.

The air rushed ominously, and Quiverwing's heart felt like a rock being thrown repeatedly against her ribcage.  She could not stand it.  The duckling forced Aviana's hand roughly away from her face.  The sparkling emeralds of her eyes widened as a gossamer white mist slid into the Devil's Eye, and her father's body slumped limply to the floor.

Her own safety forgotten, Quiverwing Quack sprinted forward with reckless abandon.

"Gos, no!" Morgana the kitten hissed helplessly.

Aviana reached forward wildly and grabbed Quiverwing's cape but the girl struggled free.  The duckling ran towards the bull and the mallard, her heart ready to leap out of her mouth.  

"DAAAAD!" she screamed in a heartbroken voice.

Taurus Bulba froze and stared at the masked face.  That voice was so familiar…those green eyes…that red hair…

And that was when it hit him.  It was her.  The little girl he detested savagely, the little girl who had always managed to squirm from his clutches was standing right in front of him.  It was Gosalyn.  But the most shocking part of it all came in her very emotional outburst.

"So, G_oo_salyn…that is why you two always seemed so close…_Darkwing Duck is your father_…" the cyborg whispered with heated delight.

Quiverwing Quack whipped out her bow and drew a sharp arrow on the string.

"That's right!" she seethed, "So that means you're gonna pay, fatso!"

Taurus Bulba chuckled, "I do not believe it is _I _who will be doing the paying."

Quiverwing's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Huh?"

"Darkwing!  Get up!" the cyborg barked.

The crime fighter shifted.  He pushed himself up, his joints bending unnaturally.  Though still hunched over, he swayed left to right slowly.

"Dark?" Morgana the kitten whispered in a frightened voice.

"Dad?" Quiverwing whimpered meekly.

For the first time since Quiverwing had called him by that name, Darkwing did not respond.  He merely straightened himself up, allowing her to view him in full.  Quiverwing's bow and arrow slipped from her numb hands, clattering loudly against the floor.

Darkwing's entire body seemed emaciated though his figure had not changed, and his normally pressed and starched clothes dangled from his gaunt body.  Worst of all was his face.  The warm and friendly features Quiverwing had once found security in now revolted her.  His beak had turned a sick mix of orange and green, and his now scraggly cheek feathers were a ghostly gray in pallor.  The eyes were cold and white as bone behind the purple mask.  All recognition had vanished from them, leaving two hollow orbs staring meaninglessly at nothing.  The eyes were the window to the soul, and Darkwing's eyes were empty.

Quiverwing shivered and fought back the urge to retch at the sight of her gruesome father.  Morgana the kitten gaped while Negaduck raised an interested eyebrow.  Taurus Bulba smiled devilishly, revealing his hellish pleasure.

"Now you shall receive the retribution you have for years deserved.  When I lift the curse from Darkwing he will see the carnage he himself has created."

Bulba paused for a but a moment, then continued.

"Darkwing Duck, kill G_oo_salyn."

Darkwing's eyes gleamed a fiery red and he let out a bloodcurdling screech that echoed in a voice not his own.

Quiverwing stood stalk still, trying to force the bull's words to make sense in her brain.  The revelation never came.  So she trembled, utterly horrified, as the person she cherished the most in the entire world marched towards her, craving her death. 

NOTE:  No, this isn't the end, there's a bit more to go yet.  Which brings me to this:  if anyone is finding the length problematic, if it's getting boring, or you just want me to end the Goddamn story, please let me know.  And BE HONEST, it's my first fic and I don't know how everyone feels about lengthy stories, so sugarcoating it won't help.  If you find the length _is _indeed a problem, I'm not too sure that I can salvage this particular fic, but I will keep it in mind for future written endeavors.


	13. Duck Be Nimble Duck Be Quick

Disclaimer:  Hmm…Darkwing's not mine, Quiverwing's not mine, so that means that Gosalyn isn't mine either…Negaduck?  No, not mine…Morgana…nope, not mine either…

I don't know if it'll show up, but I'm the same author, just a different penname. I think this one will probably stay.

Reviewers, you guys are awesome awesome AWESOME!

*~*~*~*

Quiverwing's bones rattled with fear.  Her entire body overflowed with shocked agony but was completely numb at the same time.  She was dimly aware of shouts directed to her from behind, but they seemed muffled and far away.  She tried to swallow, but only gagged.  She tried to breath, but only suffocated.

Her father, the one she could always turn to, always trust, always love, slowly advanced towards her.  Never could Quiverwing remember being so sickened and horrified.  His disgusting beak was twisted in a ferocious growl, and his eyes looked like two angry pools of blood.  He let loose a scream that sounded like the roar of a jet engine, but it echoed as if from a distance.  

"Now there's something you don't see every day," Negaduck remarked incredulously, then grimaced as a chunk of slime dripped from the brim of his hat and onto his beak.

"Gosalyn," Morgana the kitten breathed, "Dark, please, please stop!"

Darkwing marched on, oblivious to her desperate call.

"Dark!"

Aviana turned to her, "That isn't going to work.  His soul's gone.  He's under the cyborg's control now."

"Well, can we get his soul back?!" the kitten questioned frantically.

Aviana regarded the sorceress carefully, playing with the prospect.

"Yes, possibly…"

"How?!"

"We can work that out later.  For now, we need Darkwing's body.  Intact," Aviana informed, with an annoyed glance at Negaduck, who had shifted next to her.

The duckette turned back to the unsettling scene before her.  An apparently devoted father, out of his own head, about to kill his innocent daughter.  C'mon girl, just move.  Run.  However, Quiverwing stood rooted to the floor.  And all of this because of the Devil's Eye.  The Devil's Eye.  She was sick of those two words and the pain they had caused.  The pain she had seen, felt, and knew was more to come.

Darkwing crouched like a tiger before a cornered mouse, eyes locked on Quiverwing.  Aviana's heart jumped into her throat.

"Get yourself back to normal!" the duckette commanded to Morgana the kitten and sprinted towards the confrontation.

Several things happened at once.  Darkwing lunged at Quiverwing like a bolt of lightning. Sarah Bellum gasped, Quiverwing let out a strangled cry.  Aviana leapt into a powerful web kick and collided with Darkwing in midair.

Upon striking the soulless mallard, Aviana felt like she had slammed into a brick wall.  She hit the floor with a thud and a dull "ow", but her force was just enough to knock Darkwing Duck off course.  He landed in a heap next to Quiverwing.

"Quick, come over here!" J. Gander shouted to Quiverwing Quack.

The duckling wordlessly obliged and bolted to the crew.  She scooped Morgana the kitten into her arms and clutched her tightly.

Darkwing sprang back to his feet, various joints cracking as he did so.  Within a second he continued towards his target.

"Hey Darkwing, over here!" Aviana yelled, trying to draw the mallard's attention away from the little girl.

Her words passed ineffectually by him, and the crime fighter persisted to stalk his prey.

Morgana thought quickly, the stress causing her to tug on her ears with her tiny paws.  Darkwing would never hurt Gosalyn, but his soul was gone, so he obviously was not aware of his actions.  If he was not aware of his actions, then maybe he was not aware of who Gosalyn was either…

"This isn't Gosalyn!" Morgana the kitten yowled to Darkwing.

The mallard stopped in his tracks, and grunted with confusion in his strange tone.

Morgana took a deep breath and added, "This isn't Gosalyn, this is Quiverwing Quack, so don't attack her!"

Darkwing cocked his head to one side, then miraculously turned away from the duckling and the kitten.  Morgana let out a breath she did not know she had been holding.

Aviana was just about to praise the sorceress for her quick wit, but that was until Darkwing's crimson eyes locked on his next target.  With an unearthly screech Darkwing charged towards Aviana.

"Hey wait, I'm not Gos – Christ!" was all Aviana managed to get out before diving out of the zombie's path.  She landed on her feet, but her feet landed on Morgana's ectoplasm.  She ran wildly in place for a moment before falling flat on her stomach.

"Dammit!" she cursed, her front covered in the sticky goo.

Suddenly Aviana noticed a shadow cast across her.  Frowning, she looked up to see an enraged, soulless Darkwing Duck hovering over her.  He raised his fists.  Aviana shrunk back, not wanting to look but unable to rip her gaze from the terrifying visage.

Negaduck, who had been heading towards the chaos, saw Darkwing standing over the fallen Aviana.  He had to stop and plan an attack; he had to pull out a gun, an axe, anything.  He stopped running, but noticed he was still in motion.  He looked down at his feet, which were currently sliding smoothly on their thin coat of slime.  

Negaduck growled and mentally cursed all that was Morgana.  He looked up.  All he saw was Darkwing's wan face before he slammed directly into him, resulting in the two toppling end over end in a mass of arms, legs, and capes.

The black-masked mallard blinked and clutched his head, trying to stop the lab from spinning.  He flopped over and lay on his back.  Before he could blink again Darkwing's shadowed face loomed over him.  His soulless opposite growled with impatience.  Clearly he had forgotten his orders, and was acting on his own accord.

Darkwing balled his fist and drew back.  Negaduck's eyes widened as Darkwing swung.  The mallard squirmed to the left, narrowly avoiding Darkwing's fist as it crashed next to him, causing the floor to shudder.

Negaduck stared at the hole in the tiled floor where his head had been a second before and gulped.  He looked up just in time to roll to the right as Darkwing swung with his other arm.  Negaduck's tenacity rose and he glowered at the crime fighter.

"Cut it out, will ya?" he barked, then pulled his knees to his chest and kicked Darkwing as hard as he could.

Kicking the soulless Darkwing was just as effective as a midget poking a giant with a stick.  

Darkwing bellowed something unintelligible and grabbed Negaduck by the collar, jolting the startled villain to his feet.  Darkwing then lunged at him with abnormal strength.  He collided with Negaduck, proceeding to slam him roughly into a lab wall.

Negaduck grunted and struggled with his enhanced adversary, his head throbbing.  However, resistance was futile.  Darkwing effortlessly pinned him to the wall with one arm and socked his body repeatedly with the other.

*~*~*~*

"NO!" Taurus Bulba roared.

The cyborg trembled with rage.  Why was he bound to fail, to lose to this pathetic excuse of a hero and that little brat of a girl?  No, he was not going to be defeated.  Not again.

The bull turned to Aviana, who was watching the fight between the two mallards with a pained looked on her face.  She set her jaw and made to go help Negaduck even up the odds, but Bulba grabbed her by the hood of her sweatshirt.

He lifted her up to his face.  She could feel his breath upon her, and she wrinkled her beak at the smell of stale air and motor oil.

Off to one side, J. Gander's eyes flashed.  He turned to Sarah Bellum and whispered something in her ear.  Bellum nodded.

"Be right back!" Sarah said to Quiverwing cheerily, and she and Gander scooted off into the depths of the lab.

Bulba sneered in the duckette's face.

"Damn you for your meddling.  Now you are going to get it!" 

Suddenly Morgana's kitten ears perked up.

"'Get it?'" she repeated, "Genit!  I remember the spell!  _Luoh genit nelavym!_"

A bright flash and Morgana had sprung out of Quiverwing's hands and into her standard avian form.

"Ah, that's better," she commented.

"Um, Morgana…"

"Yes Quiverwing?"

"Look."

Quiverwing Quack pointed to the fluffy scarlet tail swishing to and fro on Morgana's backside.

"Hmm, that won't do," the sorceress sighed.

Taurus Bulba stared at Morgana, raising his eyebrow.  Aviana took advantage of his distracted state to gather all of her hatred and anger.

"Hey, guess what?" she hissed to Bulba.

The bull turned and locked eyes with the duckette.

Focusing on his eye, she continued, "I hate cyborgs…"

*~*~*~*

"Let go!"

"_RRROOOAAARRR!_"

Negaduck gagged as Darkwing's hands found his neck.  Each finger tightened like a small boa constrictor, trying to squeeze the life from their prey.

Negaduck coughed and gasped, trying his best to pry Darkwing's hands away.  As the oxygen traveling to his brain slowed he stared into his soulless opposite's face, and now more than ever, it was like looking into a mirror.  The edges of Negaduck's vision distorted and his mind was slowly fading away.  The frustrated beak, the hate-filled eyes; was this him?  Was this what he looked like to others?

The two mallards grunted with effort – one with killing, the other with surviving.  Negaduck ground his teeth.  If he did not do something soon he was going to die…Darkwing was going to kill him.

Darkwing Duck was going to kill him.

"I…don't…think so!" Negaduck wheezed, and kneed Darkwing in the groin with all his might.

Much to Negaduck's shock, the crime fighter barely batted an eye at the assault.

"What the…you freak!  LET…GO…OF…ME…NOW!"

With an almighty tug Negaduck squirmed free of his captor.  He got to his feet shakily, and within the second Darkwing had leapt to his own.  The two faced each other.  Darkwing growled horribly.

As Negaduck looked at his enemy's face, his mind's eye was launched backwards in time through dozens of battles, fistfights, thumb wars, and petty arguments.  Not one memory consisted of any positive confrontation, only heated, almost automatic, animosity.  So many face-offs, not one duck ever able to totally defeat the other.

Negaduck concentrated on his opponent and began to think methodically.  The old Darkwing fought with his head and his gadgets, this Darkwing fought with his brute strength.  Therefore, this Darkwing may be caught off guard by some of the old Darkwing's tricks.

Darkwing lunged.  Negaduck sidestepped him and reached under the crime fighter's jacket.  His hand found Darkwing's trusty gas gun.

"Suck gas do-gooder!" Negaduck jeered.

A capsule erupted form the gun's muzzle and struck Darkwing square in the jaw.  The mallard roared and clawed blindly through the smoke while Negaduck crouched and made his way to safety.

"Ha!  You're pathetic Dorkwing.  You're given super powers and you _still_ can't – what…"

The black-masked mallard felt a many legged something scramble over his foot.  His eyes followed a small, brown ball until it disappeared into the cloud of smoke.  He could hear Darkwing grunting and screeching with anger.

The wisps of smoke finally faded, revealing Darkwing tightly wrapped from the neck down in shimmering spider webs.  The fuzzy creature sat atop his gray fedora triumphantly.

"Good boy Archie!" Morgana, without a kitten's tail, cheered.

For an individual devoid of digits, Archie the spider made a very convincing thumbs up.

Darkwing's sick beak twisted into fury as he strained against the webbing.

"Nothing is stronger than a spider's web," Morgana announced with a grin, "Okay, we've got Darkwing, now what do we do?"

"You die."

Morgana turned and found herself beak to muzzle with Taurus Bulba's blaster arm.  The sorceress instinctively herded Quiverwing behind her.

"I am sick of nuisances like yourself.  Nothing stands in the way of Taurus Bulba!" the bull declared.

Morgana frantically summoned energy while Bulba's arm prepared to fire.  There was a single, heavy heartbeat, and suddenly the sound of rushing water filled the air.  A neon blue liquid doused the cyborg.  As if it had a life of its own, the fluid slithered into every hairline seam of his body.

The bull raised a fist and prepared to swing, but to Morgana and Quiverwing's surprise, he froze.  His blaster arm sat motionless, still poised for destruction, his face remained bent in wrath.

"Anti-antifreeze," Sarah Bellum informed from behind Bulba while putting away a large hose, "It discontinues the function of all gears and hoses in any mechanical object.  Originally intended for getaway vehicles and departing ice cream trucks.  I'm not sure how long it will keep him frozen though…we've got either 37 days or 5.2 minutes."

"Thank you," Morgana breathed, her heart still rocketing about in her chest.

Aviana and Negaduck made their way over to the crew with Negaduck rolling Darkwing along with his foot.  J. Gander looked dolefully upon the bound mallard.  The director seemed more tired and old than ever.

Hooter adjusted his glasses and sighed, "This situation has worse consequences than I could have ever imagined.  Dr. Bellum and I will gather the remaining SHUSH agents and relocate to our nearest headquarters.  SHUSH has been trying to employ the Devil's Eye information to cross various dimensional boundaries, but it has yet to be perfected.  If the project does come through we can possibly use it for Darkwing."

The old avian gazed at the soulless Darkwing for a few moments before continuing to Morgana and Aviana, "I thank you all for your aid.  If I can still implore you further, I ask that you keep Darkwing under control until SHUSH can help.  Miss Quiverwing, you have been very brave throughout this ordeal and I wish you and your family the best of luck.  This sort of thing just happens when…when…"

"When you least expect it," Morgana finished softly.

"Yes, exactly," J. Gander replied wearily.

"When you least expect it?" Negaduck taunted, "Sounds like a sappy title that someone would use when they couldn't think of anything better."

Director Hooter scowled contemptuously at the black-masked mallard.  He marched over to him and stared up into his face doggedly.

"I don't know what to make of you.  If it were not for your assistance tonight I would have you interrogated. However, I suggest that you watch your tongue as well as your actions; there is no room for insolence here."

Negaduck gave him an ugly look and his hands formed into fists subconsciously.  Aviana beamed at J. Gander.  After saying all he needed to say, Director Hooter turned back to Morgana and Aviana. 

"Will you be capable of returning to safety?  If not, we can provide transportation."

"No, we'll be fine," Morgana answered for everyone.

"All right.  Good luck to you all.  I'm starting to believe that every person in St. Canard is going to need it soon."

With that, J. Gander and Dr. Bellum exited into the abnormally quiet halls of the S.H.U.S.H. building.

Quiverwing Quack wasted no time in getting down to business.  She leapt onto Aviana, clutching her by the neck of her hoodie and securing her feet on her stomach.

Shoving her beak into her face, the duckling barked like a miniature drill sergeant, "All right you!  You're the expert on this Devil's Eye stuff, how do we get Darkwing back to normal?  And keep in mind that I use the term 'normal' very loosely!"

"Quiverwing dear, you know you're not supposed to jump on others," Morgana said calmly while she detached the pintsize hero from Aviana.

The duckette cleared her throat and readjusted the collar of her hoodie, eyeing the redhead warily.

"Well, if the legends are correct, there _should_ be a way to retrieve his soul from limbo.  You see, that SHUSH guy said that they were working on crossing dimensions, but they hadn't perfected it.  I think the only reason they hadn't perfected it yet is because they're missing one thing:  magic.  The studies say magic's practically the key to the whole thing – it's pretty much all you need.  So, even though I'm not sure if you really want to Morgana, I think you can help save Darkwing's soul."

"Sure, I'll save that piece of bat dung, but only for your sake, Quivering," the sorceress replied with a nod in the duckling's direction, knowing that what she had said wasn't entirely true.

"Okay.  Um, you said you could get us to safety?" Aviana questioned.

"Of course, we can go back to my place, we'll be safe there" Morgana said confidently, feeling glad that Darkwing was not himself, "I can teleport us there."

Negaduck's eyes widened.

"Oh no no no, I don't think so, I've seen your attempts at this kinda stuff before! That's all I need – my body to be in China while my head is in Antarctica!"

Morgana looked at the mallard scornfully.

"And what makes you think I wanted you to come along anyway?  Okay everyone, join hands and stand still."

Morgana placed a hand on the still squirming Darkwing's shoulder.  Her other hand linked with Quiverwing's, who held onto Aviana's firmly.  Aviana looked at Negaduck, who had his arms crossed and was staring the other way arrogantly.

"Don't be an idiot," the duckette snapped and snatched Negaduck's hand.

Negaduck attempted to yank his hand away when the lab around him disappeared.  For a few moments his world seemed to be a blur of motion.  However, the trip was over as soon as it had begun.  The world spun back into focus, and he found himself in the middle of an unfamiliar dock.  The air felt unusually warm for St. Canard.

"Morgana this doesn't look like your house," Quiverwing pointed out.

A full-bodied bear suddenly hopped out of a yellow plane floating idly in the water.

"Darn Karnage, nearly shot down the Sea Duck," the bear grumbled to himself, "wait'll Becky hears this, she'll have a – hey, who are you?"

"Oops!  Sorry, wrong place!" Morgana chuckled nervously, not meeting Negaduck's gaze.

The masked mallard opened his mouth to give her a severe verbal lashing but was once again cut off.  The dock disappeared and was replaced with a fanged toilet, a six-legged sink, and an incredibly ornate bathtub.

"Welcome to the bathroom of Macabre Manor," Morgana announced.

*~*~*~*

"Ah, here it is…_So You Want to End the World_."

Morgana lifted a hefty tome from the bookshelf.  She let the spellbook drop on a table with a loud'_thud!_' and began to page through.

Aviana watched her patiently, occasionally gazing about at the immense library surrounding her.  Gosalyn paced back and forth with a determined look on her face, her Quiverwing Quack costume strewn haphazardly across the floor.  The helpless Darkwing zombie grunted with rage and struggled with the webbing as Negaduck continually poked him in the shoulder for no good reason.

Minutes later Morgana sighed with satisfaction, "Trans-dimensional Thresholds:  How to Create and Utilize.  Let's see…Black holes…Death…Dreamworld…Eternity… Hades…Kindergarten…Left Oblivion…Ah, Limbo."

Morgana murmured to herself as she scanned the incantation.  Aviana peered over her shoulder at the page, but could make virtually no sense of the strange words.  Morgana grimaced.

"Oh dear, this looks complex…more complex than anything I've ever done before.  It would be easy if we were actually _at _a doorway already, then all I'd have to do is open it.  But we're not, so I'm going to have to summon one, then open it."

"But do you think you can do it?" Aviana demanded.

"Well, I can try," Morgana answered hesitantly, "What would we do if I'm able to open the portal?"

"Easy.  We send someone in there to retrieve Darkwing's soul," Aviana said simply.

Gosalyn stopped pacing and dashed up to the duckette.

"Me and Dad read the history of the Devil's Eye online, and it said that a relative can go get the souls!"

"That's right," Aviana assured, "We need a flesh and blood connection to go into the portal and save him.  So, if you want to, I guess you could do it."

"Okay," Gosalyn said bravely, trying to ignore a certain part of what Aviana had just said.

"Gosalyn…" Morgana chided softly.

The duckling scowled and crossed her arms, the threat of tears burning in the back of her throat.

Aviana's brow furrowed.

"What?"

"I'm adopted," Gosalyn seethed, too angry with herself for words.

"Oh," Aviana whispered awkwardly, "Well, um, does Darkwing, uh, have any, _other_, relatives?"

"None that he's ever told me about," Morgana said.

There was a moment's pause before the three turned their heads simultaneously in Negaduck's direction.  The mallard stopped poking Darkwing and looked up.

"What?!" he barked defensively.

Aviana crossed her arms hotly.

"Aren't you a relative of Darkwing's?"

"Hell no!"

"What?!  You're not his evil twin or something?"

"No!"

"Are you his brother?"

"No!"

"Cousin?"

"No!"

"Clone?"

"No!"

"Sister?"

"NO!"

Aviana growled, "Then what _are_ you?"

"What I _am_ is someone who is not affiliated with Jerkwing Dunce in any way whatsoever."

Aviana opened her mouth to object but Morgana beat her to the punch.

"You can't fool me, I KNOW you two are related somehow!  And as much as it sickens me to admit it, you're our last hope, so you better jump on in there and save Darkwing, or you'll be an amoeba so fast it'll make your head spin!"

The sorceress's fingers cackled with energy and her livid eyes glowed.  Negaduck's pride won out against his better judgment and he replied, "Nope."

Morgana saw red and promptly raised her hands above her head, gearing up for the mother of all firebolts.  However, Aviana was not in the mood to smell burnt feathers, so she stepped in front of Morgana.

"Cool it Merlin, let me go talk to him."

Morgana swore under her breath while Aviana walked over to Negaduck.

"You're in a winning mood today Fuzzy," she commented.

"You bet," Negaduck returned sarcastically.

"Be honest, do you and Darkwing seriously have some kind of connection?  I mean, you obviously look pretty much identical, and sometimes you act the same, but other times you act like you're from different universes – "

"You have no idea," Negaduck mumbled.

" – So tell me, are you guys related?" Aviana asked, searching his eyes.

Negaduck studied her carefully, and at long last replied, "Somewhat."

"Good enough.  So you'll go in there and get his soul?"

There was a moment's pause before the mallard burst into harsh laughter.

"What?" Aviana demanded.

"You want me, Negaduck, to go save the soul of the person that I wish to salt the earth upon which he walks?  I don't think so." 

"But you have to!"

"Why?"

"Because!"

"'Cuz why?"

"Because, this Devil's Eye thing is really serious, I think it would be in your best interest to get Darkwing back on earth.  There's something odd about the way you two keep meeting up."

"Hold the phone.  Isn't that because I'm '_involved_?'  You wouldn't shut up about it before!" Negaduck yelled, completely exasperated.

"I know, but 'involvement' usually doesn't go this far.  Trust me, I know the Devil's Eye, and this is serious," Aviana replied darkly.

"That's just wonderful, but the answer is still no.  I'd never risk my neck for that assho – "

"Quiet, they'll hear you," Aviana scolded with a glance over her shoulder.

" – that son of a gun.  I see no personal gain out of it, so no."

The duckette snarled, but then regained her composure.  She regarded him coolly and whispered, "If you're going to be a selfish, immature brat, then so be it.  But save Darkwing for this reason if for nothing else:  if you don't rescue him, then I'll tell every newspaper within a thirty mile radius of here that not only was the 'mighty' Negaduck pummeled by Darkwing Duck, but it was Taurus Bulba, _not _Negaduck, who brought about Darkwing's downfall."

Negaduck's jaw dropped in disgust.

"You wouldn't dare," he hissed.

"Try me."

Negaduck stared at her with narrowed eyes, playing with the option in his head.  

"All right, let's touch on the advantages," Negaduck said, more to himself than Aviana, "I rescue the dipstick from imminent doom.  I then lead the simpletons to believe I'm on their side.  I slowly work my way into their good graces until I find their soft underbelly, then…WHAM!  I hit Dungfling Duck right where it hurts, once and for all.  Heh, it almost worked before, and this time it's not Valentine's Day, so, whatever."

The villain's beak curved into a wicked smile.

"Fine by me," Aviana responded.

*~*~*~*

"Okay, let's run through this again.  I will open the gateway.  Gosalyn, what will you be doing?"

"I'll be keeping an eye on Darkwing."

"Aviana?"

"I'll be watching the gateway for Fuzzy and Darkwing."

"And Negaduck?"

"I'll be running in a circle flapping my arms and singing _God Save the Queen_."

"This is serious you twit!"

"Fine.  I'll be jumping into uncharted territory and saving my worst enemy's soul.  I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Good."

The sorceress sighed and turned to her spellbook.  She shut her eyes and began to mentally overview the process, trying to pinpoint any complications.  A screw up here would not be like turning yourself into a kitten – a screw up here could be permanent.

Gosalyn stood at attention next to her father, who was bound by spider webs to a chair.  Archie stood loyally on her shoulder while the bats Eek and Squeak circled the air above them.  The pure confidence of a child reassured her everything would be all right.

Negaduck and Aviana stood together, the tense air of suspense growing between them.

"I'm impressed that you're actually doing this," Aviana said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, well, him not having a soul kinda takes the fun out of thrashing him," the mallard replied.

"It's funny," Aviana murmured, "all those years of studying with the team and saying 'well if we only had magic.'  And now here it is."

"I just hope Mad Madam Mimm over there knows what she's doing.  A portal collapse isn't a pretty sight."

Aviana looked at him quizzically.

"How would you know what a portal collapse looks like?"

"Rule of thumb:  whenever you have a question like that, just ask yourself if you're in St. Canard.  If you are, then your question is answered," Negaduck said sagely.

 "This city _is_ pretty messed up," the duckette concurred.

"So uh, when I go in Limbo and everything, what exactly am I looking for?" Negaduck asked.

"Darkwing's soul."

"I know that!  What does it look like?!"

"I don't know, it's not like I've gone in there before.  But I think you'll know it when you see it."

There was a slight pause before Aviana continued, "I'm kinda jealous of you, actually."

"Jealous."

"Yeah, that you're going into limbo.  It's just this weird thing I have, about…about death.  I don't know, I can't really explain it," Aviana whispered.

 Negaduck stared, taken aback by her sudden honesty with him.  Being the resident multi-time felon of St. Canard usually prohibited the sharing of personal information with him.  He opened his beak to respond, but Morgana's voice echoed through the library.

"Okay everyone – ready or not!"

The sorceress raised her hands above her head as if trying to touch the distant ceiling.  She concentrated on the open spellbook before her.  Her years at Eldritch attempted to pay off as the incantation poured from her beak.  Her hands began to pulse with the soft glow of magical energy.

Gosalyn watched her with bated breath.  Even the soulless Darkwing stopped fidgeting to witness the event.

The energy had reached its peak, and Morgana could feel her hands tingling with the intensity of it.  Taking it as a sign that the doorway had at last been summoned, she proceeded with the next step.  Time to open the door.   

The sorceress extended an index finger and slowly brought her arm down.  

"Keep the arm stiff, pivot at the shoulder," Morgana whispered.

The four ducks behind her were shocked to see a thick white line appear about three feet in front of the sorceress mimicking the movement of her hand.  It was as if she was finger painting on an invisible piece of paper.

Finally Morgana retracted her finger.  The vertical line stopped.  Like a mime she reached forward into space and placed the backs of her hands together.  Then she spread her arms wide.

The white line parted in two, seemingly separated by Morgana's hands.  As it opened it revealed a vast, revolving vortex, the gateway to limbo.

Morgana held her arms apart, each hand clutching the sides of the metaphysical double doors.   The effort of it was extreme.

"Go," she barely managed to grunt.

Negaduck stared at the vortex and decided that anyone who would go into _that_ deathtrap would have to be on crack.  He turned to Aviana to tell her that it was a no go, but their eyes met.  In them he saw a terrible echo that meant there was no turning back now.

The mallard marched wordlessly to the strange hole in the middle of the witch's library.  He looked into the vortex of spinning gray clouds crackling with bolts of energy.  He swallowed, hoping this was worth it.

"I must be nuts."

With that, Negaduck leapt into the threshold.

NOTE:  Again reviewers, thanks for making me feel better about my fic being a bit long, and I congratulate you on having a very long attention span if you read this whole thing.  More to come.

  



	14. Duck Go Unda' Limbo Stick

Disclaimer:  I'd be quite pleased if anyone thought I actually owned these characters.

All hail the mighty reviewers.

*~*~*~*

If you need to leave the world you live in

Lay your head down and stay a while

Though you may not remember dreaming

Something waits for you to breathe again

EVANESCENCE

*~*~*~*

He could sense more than see the outer walls of the vortex rush past him as he rocketed through the tunnel.  Unlike the thick air of the Negaverse doorway he could feel this one carrying him like a river.  He was speeding faster now, heading towards a patch of light.  He was getting closer, the patch was growing, the light was blinding…

Negaduck burst through the wall of light and the next thing he knew he was lying face down on what seemed like the ground.  He grunted as he pushed himself up, then stared at the ground beneath him.  It was covered with dark gray blades of grass, but even as his hands rested upon them, the mallard could not feel their cool, wispy texture.  He felt nothing.  In fact, the grass seemed to dance over his fingers and palm like shadows.

Negaduck gasped as realization hit him – they _were_ shadows.  No real grass, only silhouettes of their former being.

He pushed himself unsteadily to his feet and gazed at his surroundings.  The gray land was vast and flat, expanding forever, melding into the equally drab sky to the point where there was no horizon.  Startlingly white trees stood around him, all of them scraggly and leafless.  So this was limbo.

Negaduck heard the mournful whistling of a soft breeze and saw the trees shift accordingly.  However, he felt no such breeze.  His cape and hat remained still.

Despite the lack of wind Negaduck shuddered.  Everything his eyes and ears told him was a lie.  Nothing was real.  His mind choked with the doubt and panic of not being able to grasp reality.

The masked mallard absently pressed his fingers to his chest as if to check the existence of his own body.  He then shifted them to the left until he could feel the rapid thumping of his heart.  He nodded like a mad man, taking assurance in the simplistic realism of his heartbeat.

"Okay," he muttered, disturbingly pleased at hearing his own voice.

His heart gave an extra jolt as he remembered the task at hand and he shouted to no one in particular, "That's it, there's no way I'm doing this."

Negaduck turned and strutted confidently into the doorway.  He made to jump back in only to have a bolt of energy strike him and send him sprawling backwards.  He hopped back up with a huff and roughly brushed the nonexistent dust off his jacket.

"Ooookay, fine.  Looks like I have to round up the dip's soul to even get out of this freak zone.  Man…as soon as I save him, I'm gonna kill that knob!"

He glanced about, searching the barren terrain.

"Gotta find his soul, gotta find his soul," Negaduck thought aloud to remind himself of his own presence, "wait a sec…what does a soul look like?"

Negaduck squinted and looked around.  Nothing but trees and grayness.  Suddenly he saw a glimmer of white.  He tried to focus on it, but it disappeared.  Negaduck growled.

"That's it, I've had enough.  This is so stu – HOLY FREAKING HELL!"

In the blink of an eye the forms of several bodies appeared, seemingly composed of a white mist.  Negaduck had the strangest feeling that they had been surrounding him the whole time but he had failed to notice them.  It forcibly reminded him of _Where's Waldo_ – once you found the little dweeb he sticks out like a sore thumb every time you look at the page.  

The figures stood in eerie silence.  Some of them Negaduck recognized as helmet-less Eggmen, some he had never seen in his life.  They drifted towards him slowly like apparitions.  Negaduck's eyes darted from face to ghostly face.

"All right, I'm gonna assume these freakshows are the souls…okay Darkwart, where are ya?"

The specters seemed to multiply as more and more surrounded the mallard as if admiring the veracity of his body.   Negaduck found himself unable to muster the nerve to touch one of them but instead edged delicately around them.  He scanned the wraithlike crowd until his eyes fell on a familiar face.

Without a mask and cape stood the soul of Drake Mallard.  He appeared more solid than the rest and wore a capricious look on his face.

Though he had always generally assumed it, Negaduck was still surprised to see how identical Darkwing's maskless face was to his own.  He stared at the mirror image of himself and the soul's unfocused eyes seemed to stare right through him.

Negaduck pulled his gaze away and awkwardly reached down.  He grasped Drake's wrist.  It was unexpectedly firm, though the villain could not feel it in his clutch.  No heat, no cold, no texture, just firmness. 

"Well, let's go, I guess," Negaduck said for lack of anything better.

He tugged on Drake's arm but to his shock, the soul barely budged.  His momentum caused Negaduck to release his grip and stumble forward.  The mallard growled and glared daggers at his opposite's spirit.  The body looked light and airy but felt as though it was filled with sand.

Negaduck marched behind Drake and attempted to shove him toward the portal.  No dice.  Negaduck rolled up his sleeves. He seized Drake's arm tightly and backpedaled with all his might.  Slowly but surely, Drake's soul began to float forward.

The going was painfully slow and Negaduck felt as thought he was pulling a load of bricks across sandpaper.

"Who knew that…saving a…hero…would be…so…freakin'…hard," the mallard grunted to himself.

He edged closer towards the glowing doorway.  Negaduck ground his teeth and stretched his arm to the light.  He inched forward until his fingertips grazed the threshold.  The second he made contact Negaduck let out a startled yelp as Drake's soul zoomed like a magnet into the portal, dragging the stunned villain behind him.

*~*~*~*

Sweat trickled down Morgana's face and onto her beak.  It dripped off her chin, making a dark blotch on the wooden floor.  The sorceress's entire body trembled with effort as she struggled to keep both the portal and their hopes alive.  Her hands burned like white-hot metal where she gripped the unseen edges of the threshold.  Doorways like this were not meant to be opened, and once they were, their number one priority was getting shut.

"C'mon," Morgana heaved.

She could not lose him, not like this.

Aviana paced back and forth nervously, her eyes never once leaving the sorceress and the portal.  What was taking so long?  Had the portal worked?  Was he in limbo, or was he stuck in a completely different dimension?

Gosalyn watched Morgana, clutching her pigtails.  The fleeting thought of losing her father forever flitted across her mind but she quickly issued it away.

Suddenly the duckling heard a loud, ripping noise behind her.

"Huh?" Archie grumbled from his perch upon Gosalyn's shoulder.

Eek and Squeak began to squeal and flap furiously.  Gosalyn turned to witness the soulless Darkwing burst from his spider web bonds with an echoing roar.  His eyes blazed with a fire and he leapt forward, knocking Gosalyn roughly to the floor.

Archie flew off her shoulder and tumbled across the floorboards.  He collided with Aviana's boot.

"What the…"

Aviana looked down at the dazed arachnid.  He pointed a shaky leg in Gosalyn's direction.  The duckette followed his leg to the scene and gasped.

Darkwing rounded on his daughter.  Though still on the floor, Gosalyn attempted to back away.  The crime fighter curled his fingers so they looked like claws, ready to attack…

"Heads up, zombie boy!"

Aviana jumped into a high web kick.  Darkwing whirled to face her and effortlessly caught her by the leg.  He flung the duckette to the side with a simple flick of the wrist.  Aviana hit the floor and slid to a halt.

"Oh for Chrissake, can't anything go right today?!" she bellowed furiously.

Darkwing Duck scurried up a bookshelf and clung to the ceiling unnaturally.  He was literally foaming at the mouth, the saliva oozing from his sick beak and falling to the ground.

Gosalyn's jaw dropped with horror.  She craned her neck to see Darkwing.  The duckling could tell he was tensing his muscles, preparing to pounce.  Though her bow and arrows were within reaching distance, she did not bother with them.  It had been hard enough to shoot Launchpad the other night, let alone her own father.

As she stared up into the hideous, ruby eyes, a pity beyond her years swelled deep inside her.

"Oh Dad…" she whimpered.

Darkwing glowered down at the redhead and let loose a very raptor-like shriek that resounded throughout the library.  The shrill sound echoed in Morgana's ears.  She chanced a glance over her shoulder, blinking through her salty sweat.  Her eyes darted from Darkwing to Gosalyn, and her heart surged with horror.

"Hurry up!" she cried desperately into the doorway.

*~*~*~*

Drake's soul flew through the channel at record pace.  Negaduck clung to his wrist frantically.  The black-masked mallard thought he heard the sound of Morgana's voice echoing around him, but his attention was too focused on keeping a hold of Drake to debate it.  Much to his displeasure Negaduck could feel Drake's soul slipping from his grasp.

"Oh no you don't!" Negaduck growled through clenched teeth.

Drake's force was too great.  His wrist broke free from Negaduck's grab.  The villain watched Drake's soul rocket back to earth without him.

"Oh for – even his dumb soul manages to get away!" he barked, letting the natural current of the portal carry him to the doorway.

*~*~*~*

Aviana clutched her beak with panic.  Things were spinning out of control, and she never faired well under pressure.  She always needed someone else when times were tough.  And this time was about as tough as it got.

Gosalyn stood frozen like a shocked statue as she stared at her father who was currently hanging from the ceiling, ready to strike.  Morgana's entire frame was writhing with the effort of holding open the doorway.  Her hair had fallen down and was matted to her face like thick, black spider webs, and her face was distorted with pain.

Morgana held back a gasp of agony.  The lives of two she cared for deeply were on the line.

"Someone…do something!" she shouted with all her strength.

Though she had expected that someone to be among the living, she did not complain when a white mist exploded from the vortex.  Gosalyn gasped as it made a beeline to the ceiling.  The mist melted into Darkwing's soulless body with an almost comforting whooshing sound.  Darkwing blinked.

"Wha…w-where am I?  How'd I get up – YAAAHH!"

His supernatural abilities gone, Darkwing Duck fell from the ceiling like a brick.  He emitted a painful "Oomph!" as he landed in a heap on the floor.

Gosalyn crept towards his form cautiously, her nerves mingling with her curiosity.  Darkwing's cape lay draped over his face from the fall.  The duckling shrunk to her knees and gingerly lifted a corner of the purple cloth.  To her glee, she revealed healthy white feathers, a bright orange beak, and clear, albeit crossed, blue eyes.

Still needing further proof of his well-being, Gosalyn questioned hesitantly, "There's word going around that Gizmoduck is the best hero in the whole world.  Is this true?"

Darkwing's eyes snapped into focus.

"What?!  Of course not!  That is the opposite of true!  What jackanapes spread those heinous lies?  Where do they live?  It's time they faced facts – Darkwing Duck is, and always will be, the quintessential example of heroic perfection to ever grace the very face of the earth!"

"Dad!" the duckling cried joyously.

Aviana was in the midst of observing the reunion when the acrid smell of singed feathers entered her nostrils.  She followed the scent to Morgana.  Smoke was drifting from the sorceress's sizzling hands.

"Where's Negaduck?" she hissed, "I can't…hold it open much longer!"

Aviana rushed forward and grabbed Morgana's wrists in an attempt to help her with the door.  The duckette gasped at the burning heat of Morgana's feathers.  The two shuddered furiously until they heard an increasingly loud yell echo from the depths of the vortex.

"yyyyaaaaAAAAHHH!"

With a crackle of energy, Negaduck hurtled out of the portal.  He zoomed over the two duckettes' heads, proceeding to fly across the library and slam into a bookshelf.  He slid to the floor and landed on his head, a load of books toppling unceremoniously onto him.  

"Ouchie," he moaned dully and slipped into unconsciousness.

"That was neat," Aviana commented in awe.

The duckette felt Morgana's wrists roughly pull away from her.  Morgana flung her hands together, and the doorway to limbo slammed shut.  It released a few fleeting bolts of energy before disappearing entirely, flooding the library with silence once more.  Morgana sunk to her knees, out cold before she hit the ground.

Aviana looked at Morgana, wondering what to do, when she heard Darkwing's confused voice.

"Would someone _please_ explain to me what just happened?"

Gosalyn hugged him and responded cheerily, "You had your soul stolen and got turned into a zombie.  You were actin' kinda nuts, but Aviana said that we could still get your soul back.  So Morgana opened the gate to limbo and Negaduck went in and saved your soul."

"What?!" Darkwing cried.

"Well if you don't want your soul we can always take it back," Gosalyn said with a smile.

Darkwing stared into space and began sputtering, "My soul got…Morgana opened…Negaduck saved…"

The mallard swayed slightly, then his eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor with an exhausted sigh, down for the count.

Gosalyn blinked.  She looked from her father, to the sorceress, then to the felon, and crossed her arms.

"Jeez, some people just can't handle the heat," she said with an air of superiority, then turned to the only other conscious duck in the room, "don't you pass out too."

Aviana looked down at Gosalyn and raised an amused eyebrow.

*~*~*~*     

"Wake up…wakey wakey…Jesus, wake up already…"

Negaduck groaned and shifted slightly, causing a sharp pain to shoot up his back.

"Oh, that was my favorite spine," he whined groggily.

He lifted the leaden weights of his eyelids.  His face felt unusually sensitive, and he became very aware of the soft material of his mask he normally forgot he was wearing.  The mallard squinted nonetheless, trying to organize his swimming thoughts.  All he was able to make out was a blurry, black mass in front of him.  Uh oh.

"Oh damn I'm dead," Negaduck stated with annoyance.

"No sorry, you're not dead."

Negaduck blinked, and Aviana's tired face came sharply into focus.

"Hello," she said blankly.

Negaduck gave her a halfhearted wave and grumbled, "How long was I out?"

"Almost an hour.  You were sleeping pretty well."

"What happened?"

"You saved Darkwing's soul then flew into a bookshelf."

Negaduck groaned with self-loathing and covered his face with his hands.

"Why me…"

Aviana reached behind him to adjust the frozen piece of yak's meat she had found to "ice" his back, coming very close to grinning.

*~*~*~*

Darkwing Duck paced in a wide circle in the living room of Macabre Manor, a dark scowl etched into his face.  Morgana lounged wearily on the plush couch, watching the mallard with an equally sinister scowl.

"I can't believe this," Darkwing said at long last.

"Believe it," Morgana retorted tersely.

"First, you let Gosalyn come along to where she _told you_ Taurus Bulba would be, and then, out of all the wanted criminals you could have let into the same house as Gosalyn, you decide to let Negaduck come prancing around like your next door neighbor!"

Morgana leaned forward aggressively.

"For one thing, your daughter just happens to care about you enough to NOT take no for an answer, and for another thing, Negaduck was not "prancing."  I know the crap he's tried to pull before; I was keeping an eye on him."

"One eye isn't enough!  Give that guy an inch, and he'll take a lot more than just a mile!  Where is he now, huh?  He could be setting up a massive chain of timed explosives as we speak!  I'm going after that lunatic and kicking his tailfeathers outta this – "

"You will do nothing of the sort!" Morgana roared, leaping to her feet, "As out of character as it seems, he saved your soul!  You can at least accept that!"

Darkwing glared at her and snapped, "Don't be so naïve Morgana!  There's not a shred of decency in his entire body!  He has ulterior motives, he always does."

  "Listen, I don't trust him either, but you can at least give _him_ the decency of speaking with him before jump to conclusions!  Not that you would ever do such a thing of course," Morgana finished with snide indifference.

Darkwing's blood pressure began a steady climb.

"I _refuse_ to have a conversation with that disgraceful, denigrating, despicable, dastardly – "

 "Oh stop it Darkwing, you're making me blush."

Darkwing spun around and came to beak to beak with his double.  Negaduck gave him a chummy grin that Darkwing returned with a contemptuous snarl.

"Whadda you want?" the crime fighter seethed, "here to stab us all in the back?  Oh wait, no, how 'bout you skin us alive first?  Or wait, even better, you could burn us to fiery ash!" 

"Darkwing!" Morgana scolded angrily.

Negaduck returned the mallard's severe gaze calmly, "Now now Darkwing, I would never dream of such horrid things."

He then turned to Aviana who had come up behind him.

"He's always a bit grouchy after having his soul stolen."

Darkwing opened his beak to deliver Negaduck a fierce verbal blow, but Morgana brushed past him.

"Listen to me Negaduck:  I can never bring myself to forgive you for all that you've done over the years.  But, because I believe that _everyone deserves a second chance_," the sorceress said, accentuating the latter with a hard glare in Darkwing's direction, "and because of what you've done for us, I won't ask you to leave for tonight nor will I allow Darkwing to turn you over to the authorities."

Darkwing began choking on his own spit.

Morgana continued, "And you, Aviana, my house is your house tonight.  You look tired, and you've certainly helped us more than I could have asked for.  There are extra bedrooms upstairs."

"Thanks," Aviana said with a yawn, pushing past Negaduck and disappearing up the stairwell.

"Well?" Morgana asked, turning to Negaduck.

The mallard growled; how dare she appear as if letting him off the hook was some gargantuan favor?  He prepared to spew the unprintable, but thought again.  Hadn't he jumped into limbo just to set Darkwing up so he could knock him down?  He had to maintain his cool demeanor.  He removed his hat and fingered it guiltily.

"I…I don't know what to say.  No one's ever accepted me like this, not after all I've done, to you two, especially.  This, this whole ordeal…it's just, it's just made me see things so differently," Negaduck lied smoothly, adding a false break of his voice for good measure.

Morgana and Darkwing exchanged wary glances.

Negaduck swiftly beat down the pride that was struggling to surface and continued, "Besides, _Dark_wing, saving your soul was just in the vain hope of that next we come to blows you'll, ya know, go easy on me."

Negaduck cringed but mentally willed Darkwing's head to inflate.  C'mon, don't read into it, just say it, just say it…

"Ha!  I'm not so sorry to say I'm not surprised!  Yep yep yep ahh…'bout time you realized the aftermath of mangling with the mighty masked mallard!  And you should also realize that this fighter of fortitude doesn't go easy on anybody!" Darkwing boasted.

"Quiet Darkwing!" Morgana snapped, then faced Negaduck with an awkward look, "Um…make yourself at home."

Negaduck gave her a gratifying nod and placed his fedora back atop his head, adjusting it accordingly.  He turned with a flourish of his black cape, then made his way up the staircase.

Morgana watched him go while Darkwing looked as though he was having heart palpitations.

"Did you hit yourself with a memory spell again?  I've seen better acting on Gosalyn's wrestling shows!" he shrieked.

"Relax.  If he tries anything funny my house will take care of him," Morgana replied with a grim smile.

Darkwing rolled his eyes, then grinned smugly.

"But it's always rewarding to know your crime fighting proficiency really pays off.  Having Public Enemy Number One, well, actually Two, cowering at your feet really boosts the old morale."

"Fascinating," Morgana drawled. 

"That milksop, who does he think he's kidding?  Kissing up so I won't manhandle him anymore, pfft."

"But do you think he'd really accept defeat that easily?" Morgana questioned hesitantly.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, he could be up to something.  I know him almost as well as I know myself, and I know he's not one to back down.  Unless, he's not up to something and just wants me to think he's up to something just because he wants to be up to something for the sake of being up to something.  But then he could want me to believe he's not up to something and just wants me to believe he's up to something because he really _is_ up to something.  G'oh, that devious delinquent!"

Morgana blinked.

"Well, just bear in mind that you can never entirely rule out the possibility of his reformation."

"Morgana, if you honestly believe that scandalous scumbag could ever have enough humanity in him to change, you've got another – "

The '_thud thud thud screech!_' of running sneakers skidding to a stop caused the two to turn around.  Gosalyn had bounded into living room, trailed closely by Eek, Squeak, and Archie.

"Hey Dad, hey Morgana.  It's almost midnight and the intense emotional trauma of tonight's events has made me weary and unstable so I was just wondering do I have to go to school tomorrow?" she gushed breathlessly.

Darkwing raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you look weary and unstable all right."

Gosalyn grinned and asked with sugary sweetness, "So do I?"

"Well…no I guess not.  But – "

"Keen gear!"

" – BUT you will report to bed immediately and you will make doing your homework into a fine art tomorrow.  Understood?"

"Yeah yeah sure fine," Gosalyn muttered quickly.

She rushed forward to her father and Morgana.

"Good to have you back Pop," Gosalyn whispered, giving him a tight squeeze.

"Good to _be_ back, sweetie," Darkwing returned.

He ruffled her hair as she broke away to spread the love to Morgana.

"Love you Gos," the sorceress said, "Take whichever room you want.  And don't forget, do not go in – "

"Second floor, back hallway, third door on the right.  No problem," Gosalyn assured with a smile.

Morgana smiled back, but suddenly faltered.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that to Aviana and Negaduck.  Hmm, that could be messy.  See if you can find them when you go upstairs Gos, I hate cleaning up after Little Cornelius."

"Don't go near Negaduck.  Maybe if we're lucky he'll open the door himself.  In fact, I think I'll go up there right now and tell him _not_ to open it.  He he he, how I love reverse psychology. He'll never know what hit 'im…" Darkwing ordered, trailing off and staring into space.

"Sure thing Dad," Gosalyn muttered sarcastically, then pounded up the stairs.

The mallard watched the fiery hair fade into the darkness.

"Huh, Gosalyn," Darkwing chuckled fondly.

"Yes, Gosalyn.  Living proof that you can do something right," Morgana jeered.

*~*~*~*

Negaduck loomed over the top of the staircase, leaning casually on the intricate banister.  He absently traced the grisly fangs carved into the wood as he listened to the conversation echoing from below. 

"Okay Darkwing Yuck, let's hear a criticism on my little routine," he whispered lowly.

"Did you hit yourself with a memory spell again?  I've seen better acting on Gosalyn's wrestling shows!" came Darkwing's irate voice.

Negaduck nodded with satisfaction.  Darkwing was skeptical, as he should be.  An award winning performance would raise a red flag, if not to Darkwing, then to others.  It was best to lie low.  Negaduck sighed and continued.

"Here comes the egotistical hot air fest in four, three, two – "

"But it's always rewarding to know your crime fighting proficiency really pays off.  Having Public Enemy Number One, well, actually Two, cowering at your feet really boosts the old morale."

" 'Well actually Two'," Negaduck mimicked with disgust.

No matter, his plan was working regardless.  Utilizing Darkwing's tragic flaw was key; an overconfident duck was more apt to overlook any suspicious activity.

"And now bring out the self-mystification," Negaduck predicted.

" – But then he could want me to believe he's not up to something and just wants me to believe he's up to something because he really _is_ up to something.  G'oh, that devious delinquent!"

"He he he, how I love reverse psychology," Negaduck snickered.

The black-masked mallard sighed and shook his head ruefully.

"Dingwing, Dingwing, Dingwing, when will you ever learn just how predictable you are?"

Darkwing's muffled voice reverberated up the stairwell.

"Morgana, if you honestly believe that scandalous scumbag could ever have enough humanity in him to change, you've got another – "

The smug grin Negaduck had sported was speedily wiped away and his blood began to burn beneath his skin.

"Yeah, you better believe it," he hissed.

Negaduck turned on his heel and strode down the dark hall.  He admired the various chilling portraits adorning the walls.

"I was never much for art," he commented sarcastically. 

He was staring at a particularly gruesome one when he heard several strident yells, followed by a series of bizarre squelching noises echoing from beyond.

"Now what?" Negaduck barked and sprinted towards the commotion.

He followed the bangs and howls to the next hallway and rounded the corner.

"What the hell?!"

Before him was Aviana, currently suspended upside down by a thick, pink tentacle wrapped around her ankle.  Dozens of the octopus-like arms sprawled from an open door, flailing wildly like giant whips.

"Back, foul beast, back!" Aviana commanded like a lion tamer while pummeling the tentacles with one of her boots.

This only seemed to encourage the creature, and it let loose a shriek from within, tightening its grip on her ankle.

Negaduck ducked as a tentacle made a snatch for his head.

"What is it?" he asked incredulously.

"How the hell should I know?" Aviana screeched back, "I just opened the door and ta da!"

More tentacles wriggled out from the door, lapping the ceiling. Negaduck reached under his cape and unleashed a large gun.  He took aim, but another tentacle shot towards him.  It wrapped around the barrel with an unusual squelch and yanked it from the mallard's hands.  The creature tossed the gun casually into the depths of the doorway.  The two could hear a set of mighty jaws clamp shut, followed by sharp teeth chomping through metal, a loud gulp, ending with a satisfied belch.

"I lose more rifles that way," Negaduck muttered with irritation.

Aviana grimaced at the smell of the rank gas, then gasped as another tentacle seized her leg, drawing her nearer towards the doorway.

"Help!" she demanded more than asked.

Before Negaduck could react, a large tentacle coiled itself around his middle and hoisted him into the air.  

Aviana glared at him and growled with defeat, "Great, now we can be eaten alive together!"

"I'm not going to be eaten by something PINK!" Negaduck yelled back.

Suddenly his eyes widened.

"Eaten?  Eaten!  Oh fish face…"

The mallard reached beneath his jacket and presented a grenade.  He tugged off the pin and lobbed it into the doorway.

"Open wide!"

Negaduck grinned as he heard the jaws shut like a steel trap, followed by a hungry gulp.  There was a moment's pause before a muffled explosion pounded the air around them.  The creature shrieked in pain.  The tentacles immediately released Aviana and Negaduck, dropping them to the floor.  The limbs writhed as they shrunk back into their home, with the last one shutting the door weakly.

The two ducks breathed heavily as they lay on the floor, relieved to have narrowly escaped becoming a midnight snack.  Out of the blue Gosalyn turned the corner and came to a halt by their side.

"I was supposed to tell you guys about – oh, I see you've already met Cornelius," she said with a sheepish grin.

Negaduck glared at her with the utmost agitation and bared his teeth.

"Leaving!" Gosalyn announced quickly and zipped out of sight.

NOTE:  Still more to come, but it's definitely getting a bit closer to the end.  This chapter was another tough one, sorry if some parts seem a bit forced.  All I know is – my term paper is done!  Who cares about my grade, MY TERM PAPER IS DONE!  *falls to knees thanking higher power.*  And now I know more than I ever wanted to about the concept of marriage in Winesburg, Ohio.  Hoo-ra.


	15. And a Side of Fries

Disclaimer: I want to say that these characters are mine, but you can't always have what you want.

The reviews are awesome everyone, I really appreciate it.

At first glance you would assume that the stretch of carpet atop oaken floors surrounded by sturdy walls speckled with doors and capped with a ceiling was an ordinary hallway. If you kept walking you would eventually reach the end of it. Simple enough.

Not for Negaduck. He had been walking down the same hallway in Macabre Manor for fifteen minutes.

The mallard growled with frustration and quickened his pace. However, each step he took seemed to cause the hallway to stretch like a rubber band. After nearly twenty minutes of marching in place, Negaduck waved his hand and barked, "Ah screw it!"

He turned to the door on his left and swung it open violently. To his surprise, there was another door.

"What the…"

He opened the second door only to reveal a third. He opened the third door. Another door. He opened that one. Still another door. Negaduck scowled and glanced around as if to check for a candid camera.

He abandoned the many doors and walked to the one on the right. He flung it open, exposing nothing but darkness.

"Ha!" he scoffed, glad to be rid of the doors.

Negaduck took a large, confident step in the room and reached for a light switch. Unfortunately, his foot landed on nothing except air and he plummeted downward. He let out a panicked cry that echoed and he twisted in midair, latching onto the doorframe. He hung by his fingertips and realized that there was indeed no room at all – just a black hole, expanding forever.

The villain hoisted himself up and into the hallway. Negaduck leapt to his feet and slammed the door shut. He leaned against it breathed, "Phew!"

Negaduck regained his composure and snarled, both pissed and unnerved by the strange house. He angrily moved to the next door and yanked it open. He stuck a cautious head inside. No more doors, no more black holes; it was just a normal room with comfortable looking chairs and an inviting fireplace.

Negaduck smirked with satisfaction, but the pleased expression was quickly erased when a small droplet suddenly splattered on his beak. He crossed his eyes to look at it, only to discover its familiar red color. Blood red.

The mallard slowly lifted his head. Above him was a thick, rusted guillotine blade stained with blood. The blade dropped with a metallic hiss.

Negaduck yelped and heaved himself backwards, narrowly avoiding decapitation. The blade landed with a fatal '_thunk!_', and he kicked the door shut.

"What the hell is this, the twilight zone?" the villain gulped.

He was standing in the middle of the hallway contemplating whether or not he should move when he heard the sound of a door creak. Before he could react Negaduck was knocked to the floor by a bulky something landing on top of him.

"Ow…my skull…" came a familiar voice, "I think it hit yours."

Aviana was sitting on his back, grimacing and clutching her head. Negaduck twisted around to face her.

"And just how exactly did you get here?"

Without moving Aviana replied hazily, "I just opened a door and stepped in and…fell through the ceiling."

The two lifted their heads. Sure enough, there was a door on the ceiling.

"How does she live here?" the duckette questioned.

"I do not know and I definitely do not care. Thanks to her I'm still clawing effin' slime outta my ears. I've had it up to here with this stupid funhouse, I'm leaving," Negaduck declared with annoyance.

Aviana nodded.

"I'm with you…so, how do we get out?"

--

Gosalyn's sneakers beat a trail into the hardwood floor as she paced back and forth. Eek and Squeak flapped dutifully behind her while Archie was curled in a ball on the bed, snoring loudly.

"We need to think of something, something to get back at him for almost making Dad join the legions of the undead."

Gosalyn swallowed, the image of her soulless father still a fresh wound in her mind. Eek squeaked in a questioning tone.

"Get back at who? Oh, we need to get back at – at Taurus Bulba," Gosalyn answered, stumbling over her nemesis's name nervously.

For all that time of preparing herself mentally for his return, the bull did a pretty speedy job of planting the same old seed of fear back into her head.

Now it was Squeak's turn to question.

"Who's Taurus Bulba? Well he's, um, he's kinda, uh, well…" Gosalyn paused, then snapped, "He's a big, stupid butthead who did big, stupid things and now we need to get back at 'im!"

Eek flapped crazily in something Gosalyn took as bat for "how?"

"Well, it'll be hard, because he's got a metalloid cyborg thing going on now."

The bats threw her questioning looks.

Gosalyn informed, "Like Dr. Death in _Bloodshed Reloaded: Masters of Pain_."

Eek and Squeak nodded with recognition and urged her to continue.

"Let's see: I was thinking something along the lines of me dressing up as Quiverwing and serving him a super arrow special. Then when I've got 'im to a standstill I'll let Dad do his 'I am the terror' song and dance, and then we'll thrash the big bozo 'til he's on his knees, beggin' for mercy, pleadin' the fifth, cryin' like a…"

Gosalyn continued with extensive fervor gaining confidence all the while, but Eek and Squeak exchanged worried glances. Eek voiced his concern with a variety of squeaks.

"What if I get hurt?" Gosalyn repeated angrily, "No way! I won't let that pushover get the better of me, and neither will Dad. He hasn't beaten us yet – we've got Bulba pinned like, like, well, like a pincushion!"

Squeak perked up and beat his wings urgently.

"My homework? Oh yeah…um, Archie'll do it. Hey Arch, wake up!"

The arachnid griped and grumbled, opening one eye lazily.

"How good are you with the Pythagorean Theorem?" Gosalyn asked.

Archie mumbled something and nodded, then began to snore once more. Gosalyn grinned at the two bats.

"There, ya see?"

--

Negaduck strolled down the sidewalks of uptown St. Canard like he owned the place, Aviana keeping pace beside him. She craned her neck to gaze at the building towering over her. Negaduck glanced at her and smirked.

"You're quite the tourist," he muttered.

"Am not," Aviana objected, "I've never gotten a chance to admire the nicer parts of this city before."

"Tourist…" Negaduck continued in a singsong voice.

Aviana scowled.

"Fine then. As a tourist I demand to know what one does in this place at this time of night."

"That all depends on which side you're on."

The duckette gave him a quizzical look and asked, "Care to elaborate?"

"Let me put it this way: you can either run around yelling 'I am the terror that craps in the night' or you can run around yelling, 'Hand over the cash or I'll break yer face!'"

"I assume you opt for the latter," Aviana stated.

"Yup. And you?"

"I'm not on any side."

"Bullshit."

"No I'm serious, I don't _do_ good or evil, I just do whatever suits my needs. I don't find either side particularly rewarding."

"Au contraire, I find a certain side _awfully_ rewarding, if you catch my drift. Well, seeing as how your viewpoint is so broad then you wouldn't mind taking a walk on the evil side, should the opportunity present itself," Negaduck declared.

"Present itself?" the duckette repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right – ah, and what do we have here…" Negaduck questioned with a sinister glint in his eyes.

Aviana followed his gaze to the large entertainment stadium looming overhead. Negaduck read the large sign posted in front of it.

"Aaawww, lookit, isn't it the annual Comic Book Convention! The special time of year when the freaks of the city all jam in one place, unarmed, and accompanied by their most valuable possessions. How quaint," Negaduck commented with mock sincerity.

"You wouldn't," Aviana said.

"Can't you just _hear_ opportunity knocking?"

"But, you've got no motive, there's no profit. You don't have to be so inanely violent all the time."

Negaduck stared at her steadily.

"Have you ever committed a crime?"

Aviana looked taken aback but answered, "Well, I shoplifted a razor once on a bet, and I may have done one or two other things, but nothing major."

"And I'm sure you could have lived without that little razor, but you stole it nonetheless. How did that make you feel?" the mallard prodded.

"Now that you mention it, it was kind of a rush making it right past that geeky clerk…"

"Now, picture _masses_ of geeky clerks."

Aviana gazed at the staduim, the silhouettes of St. Canard's cartoon fandom moving about in the windows.

"No, I can't…I've got to get to sleep, I need my rest for tomorrow, to get the Devil's Eye – "

"You better watch yourself…if you wind up any tighter diamonds are gonna start coming out your ass," Negaduck said calmly.

"Shut up, idiot! I am perfectly capable of having a good time if I want to!"

"Prove it."

"So this is what 'Hand over the cash or I'll break yer face' does for fun?" Aviana asked quietly with a glance at the Negaduck.

The white moon intensified the blackness of the villain's mask. His eyes lit up with devilish delight and the corners of his beak curved into a wicked grin.

--

Morgana had mastered the art of relaxing stiffly as she sat on her couch reading her latest "Hex of the Month" newsletter. Darkwing busied himself by tightening the tiny screws on his buzz saw cufflinks. There was an almost visible tension between them, ready to snap at the drop of a dime.

Darkwing desperately wanted to say something to help melt the thick wall of foreboding ice, but he could not find the words. As he played out each line in his head he could only picture Morgana turning him into pot roast as a reply. He opened his beak in hopes of the words spilling out naturally, but his stomach spoke for him.

The mallard crossed his fingers, praying that Morgana had not heard the hungry rumble. Unfortunately for him, the sorceress peered over the top of her newsletter.

"_Are you hungry?_" she asked in a knowing but icy tone.

"No," Darkwing responded flatly.

Morgana's eyes narrowed.

"Don't lie."

"Fine. I am hungry but not enough to stomach your choice in cuisine."

Inwardly, Darkwing was kicking the crap out of himself. Great, way to be such a smart-aleck, now Morgana would zap him into next Tuesday. Much to Darkwing's surprise, there was no biting remark or painful retribution. There was only a quiet, "I see."

The crime fighter frowned. His mind switched gears from anger to shame. However, his pride won out yet again and he said nothing. Darkwing went back to his cufflinks. They were tightened to perfection, but he fumbled with them guiltily all the same.

Suddenly Darkwing froze. Something was missing. He reached a hand under his jacket and felt around wildly.

"Where's my gas gun?" he asked with a tinge of panic.

"Negaduck probably still has it," Morgana calmly answered without removing her eyes from the newsletter.

"WHAT?!" Darkwing yelped, "And why, pray tell, would _he _be in possession of it?"

The edges of the newsletter crumpled as Morgana clenched her fists.

"_Why don't you go ask him yourself?_" she inquired, annunciating each word precisely.

"_Why don't you just tell me?_" Darkwing returned in a similar manner.

"Because maybe I don't feel like speaking to you right now," Morgana hissed through her teeth.

Darkwing rolled his eyes.

"You're quite the immature one tonight."

It took about .08 seconds for the words to register in Morgana's brain and another .02 for her to leap off the couch in righteous fury.

"_I'M _ IMMATURE?!" the sorceress raged, "Who's the one who's head is swelled so big he can hardly get through the door? Who's the one who'll resort to petty violence over diplomacy? Who's the one who criticizes my family every chance he gets? Who's the one who – "

"All right! I get it! I'm just saying that after being turned into a zombie you could at least tell me why my archenemy has my favorite gas gun!" Darkwing cried, waving his arms for effect.

"Fine, you really want to know? It was because he had to stop you from strangling him to death; he had to shoot you with your own gun, that's why he has it!"

Darkwing's brow furrowed.

"But, I don't remember any of that – I really almost strangled Negaduck?" he said, the hint of a smirk playing on his beak.

"Of course you don't remember you pighead, you were completely under Taurus Bulba's control! And you probably don't remember Bulba ordering you to kill Gosalyn."

The smirk diminished and Darkwing's insides turned to lead. He stuttered, "W-what? He ordered me to – no, he – did I, did, did really I try to?"

Morgana nodded grimly.

"Yes, you did try. Aviana and Negaduck stopped you. Negaduck accomplished it more out of self-preservation than anything else, but he stopped you regardless."

"I can't believe I tried to…" Darkwing trailed off, sickened, "but I didn't know what I was doing, I don't remember anything."

The mallard massaged his temples. Man, how foolish he was, falling prey to that bull's scheme so easily. He could have hurt so many people without even realizing it – oh no.

He examined Morgana meaningfully through his purple mask.

"I didn't try to hurt _you_, did I?" he asked sternly.

Morgana's stone face slackened slightly an she replied, "No, you did not, but you came pretty damn close. We got you soul back before you did anything else."

The tension worked its magic and Darkwing could almost feel its weight on his shoulders. He tried to find words to break the awkward silence, but his stomach once again interrupted him.

Darkwing Duck and Morgana both stared at his rumbling abdomen as if it were another participant in the conversation.

"You're hungry," Morgana stated.

"I know."

"You're only hurting yourself by not eating my food."

"Hurting myself? Huh, try helping."

Morgana placed her hands on her hips.

"If I recall that is the exact attitude that gave us problems that night."

Darkwing frowned, recalling their last date, the one that had put a damper on things, to put it mildly.

"Morgana. My appetizer bit me. Sorry if I was just a tad upset."

"Wouldn't you bite someone if they were trying to devour you!?"

"But – "

"You were also an hour late."

"Oh silly me, I was just preventing Steelbeak's quest for world domination. What was I thinking?" Darkwing drawled sarcastically.

"It's the principle of it," Morgana snapped, "Once again you put crime fighting ahead of me!"

"But he was trying to take over the world!" Darkwing whined.

"That's fine, but what about all of the other times, with those, those vicious jaywalkers, or the leash law violators, or that lunatic freeing all the light bulbs! Forgive me for not viewing them as dire emergencies!"

"It's my job to protect the city! I can't just let ruiners of righteousness run rampant!"

"I know, but you didn't have to criticize me for not taking an interest in how many fifty dollar fines you've issued! I needed you here for me more than the city needed you to protect it from loiterers, just one night! Your commitment to being out there on a nightly basis sabotaged our relationship!"

"Well it would help if you hadn't hexed me into oblivion before I could even explain myself! I was burping up snails for a week!"

Morgana smiled devilishly.

"It wasn't funny," Darkwing chided.

"Gosalyn thought it was funny," Morgana noted.

"Yeah, so did Tuskernini, and Steelbeak, and Megavolt, and every other villain in St. Canard…" Darkwing said, checking them off with his fingers.

"That _was _one of my more brilliant spells," the sorceress mused.

"See, that's another thing. I don't particularly enjoy being deep fried or belching out gastropods. You don't have to inflict pain upon me every time I rub you the wrong way. It's like you relish in it or something."

Something burned inside her, and the words spilled out from Morgana's beak before she could stop them.

" 'Relish in it'?! I don't 'relish in it'! I always felt sorry after I lost my temper at you, every – well, mostly every time! That night hurt me so badly!"

"What?" Darkwing questioned, the confusion chipping away at his anger.

"It's so difficult to explain. Every other time I've been with you, I love who I am, who I become. I feel so…me. But that night – I hated who I was, this, this, hateful bitch who – "

"Morgana you weren't a – "

"Shut up I'm on a roll – I was this horrible, hateful…Dark don't you see? You bring out the worst in me!"

Darkwing stared at her, long and level. She was being honest with him, so rightly had to be honest with her. Finally he croaked, "And the best, I believe."

The sorceress focused very hard on a piece of fuzz on the rug, swallowing the knot in her throat doggedly.

"Yes, you do."

"Look, Morg, I'm willing to put this little roadblock behind us, if you are," Darkwing breathed at long last. Granted he was no expert on the female mind, but that seemed like a darned good thing to say.

Morgana lifted her eyes from the floor and to his masked face. It had lost its harsh edge to the affectionate glow she had always loved. She grinned slyly.

"You're charming, for a pighead."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Morgana's beak formed itself into a smile, but it quickly fell as Darkwing's stomach piped up again. She raised an eyebrow, holding in it a thought that made the mallard queasy.

Darkwing's turtleneck suddenly seemed very constraining and he tugged at it. He grinned stupidly and stuttered, "Um, Morg, would you uh, be terribly…_offended_…if I, heh heh, declined to eat, right now, immediately, at the present time?"

To his surprise, Morgana smiled amiably.

"Of course not Dark."

Wow, she took that unusually well.

"You'll just have to sleep on the couch, that's all," the sorceress cooed, "Pleasant dreams."

She turned soundlessly and melted into the darkness as she floated up the stairs.

Darkwing Duck smacked his forehead. Should have seen that one coming.

--

"HA! Did you see loser's face when I smashed his – "

"Yeah, and what I did to that freak with the costume's – "

"Oh yeah, maybe next time he'll make tracks when he hears 'move your head!'"

Negaduck and Aviana meandered down the dark streets of St. Canard, reveling in their visit to the comic book convention.

"Man, you'd think those guys were put on this earth just for my amusement. Did you hear that guy when we turned out the lights?" Negaduck asked with a grin.

"You mean the, 'OH MY GOD! MY EYES! I'VE BEEN STRICKEN WITH BLINDNESS!' guy? Yeah, I heard him!" Aviana returned.

"Ha ha, yeah, and when I torched that sucker's first edition of whatever the hell it was? That was a pretty good idea for someone who claims not to be on either side."

"What can I say, you executed it quite nicely."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know, it takes real talent to terrorize twerps."

Aviana's beak cracked into a smile, which turned into a genuine laugh. Negaduck's eyebrow's raised. That marked the first time he had ever witnessed her smile, let alone laugh. Thought not entirely unpleasant, the sound was unfitting. It was like the one vivid color amidst her usual palette of moody and sullen ones, an uncharacteristic mark that just did not seem to match. Even she appeared thrown off by her own display of emotion.

Aviana's jovial countenance was quickly erased and replaced with an utterly blank stare.

"Wow. I can't remember the last time I expressed any sort of amusement like that," the duckette said in monotone, then shuddered.

"And you're blatantly out of practice. If you're going to gloat, you've got to gloat right. Watch and learn."

Negaduck threw his head back and set loose a long, vicious cackle. The chillingly infamous sound echoed through the night air drowning out the usual clamor of St. Canard. The laughter died down, the last strains still floating in the darkness.

"That was disturbing," Aviana said, but grinned mischievously.

"Thank you."

Aviana shoved her hands into the pocket of her hoodie and questioned curiously, "So, tell me, what was it like in another universe?"

"Which one," Negaduck muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Right. So, what was it like?"

"I dunno. It was weird. And gray."

"That's it? You're the only known living person to cross the threshold between heaven and hell and all you can say is that it was 'weird and gray'?" Aviana exclaimed.

"What do you want me to say? It was a magical little playground full of fascination and wonder, and at noon all the pixies gathered to have tea and sugar cookies," the mallard ranted sarcastically.

"You shouldn't mock death," Aviana said with a cold edge.

"Oh yeah, that's right, you're the afterlife activist."

"I don't know why I like it, I assume it's just because I grew up with the Devil's Eye, with my parents' being on the team and everything."

"Wait a sec – your parents? What team?"

"Don't interrupt! But yes, my parents lead the research team for the Devil's Eye. We lived in Transylvania when I was very young, I barely remember it, until we moved to New Mexico because that's where the expedition led us. Anyway, I always wondered if there was something for me on the other side, so I learned as much about death as I possibly could," Aviana mused.

"Sounds like you were a winner with your guidance counselor," Negaduck quipped.

"Oh, like you were!" the duckette retorted, "As I was saying, the more I learned about it the more interested I became. You know I could never understand why people feared death so much, like it's some terrible atrocity to die. I don't believe it's a punishment, I feel it holds great potential."

"Huh, try explaining that to a jury," Negaduck said with a knowing scowl.

Suddenly the villain's stomach growled ferociously.

"Yikes, that was loud and proud," he muttered, rubbing his stomach, "I'm going to get some grub. You?"

Aviana raised an eyebrow.

"Gee, I didn't think super villains got hungry – kidding, kidding. Who would be open this late at night?"

Negaduck thought for a moment before answering, "There's always that greasy Hamburger Hippo joint. They wouldn't close if it was raining fire, the knobs. Hungry for some high cholesterol and a side of saturated fats?"

The duckette was about to agree, but paused. No, she was too disciplined. There was no time for trivial pursuits, she needed to concentrate on the big picture.

"No, I can't, I've got to be ready for – "

Negaduck snarled, "Oh, lemme guess, the _Devil's Eye_."

"Hey, what's with the attitude big shot?" Aviana hissed.

"All I asked is if you wanted a friggin' burger!"

"That's correct, and I declined, because the Devil's Eye is a great deal more important than some grease trap."

"For cripe's sake, a guy tries to be civil and all he gets is…"

As Negaduck rambled heatedly to himself, Aviana squinted at him. For once he did not seem like some stereotype villain straight out of a comic book, but edging closer to a real person. She asked in a whisper, "Who's behind that mask?"

For the briefest second Negaduck looked as though his hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar before his eyes went an icy hard.

"_What?_" he asked as if daring her to repeat it.

"I said who's behind that mask? Who are you? What's your real name?" the duckette spurted.

"Whadda you care who's behind the mask?"

"Because, as horrendously pathetic as it may be, you're probably the closest thing I have to a friend!"

"I don't have _friends_!" Negaduck roared.

"Gee, wonder why?" Aviana questioned sarcastically, "Are you hiding behind that mask or something?"

Negaduck saw red as the temperature of his blood surged.

"I. _Am not._ Hiding."

"Then what's your goddamn problem?!"

"My problem? What's yours?! You come barging into this city like nobody's business, herding us all after some rock as if we've got nothing better to do! Why do you need to know who I am? I don't see you filling out a personal information sheet!" Negaduck yelled.

"I told you, I came here after the Devil's Eye. What more do you need to know?!"

"You know, you were almost somewhat bearable tonight until you started obsessing over that rock!" Negaduck criticized.

"Wish I could say the same for you!" Aviana quipped.

"I don't have to be bearable, I'm lord of the Negaverse!" Negaduck bellowed before he could stop himself.

Aviana's brow furrowed and she gave him a bewildered look.

"Wha – lord of the Nega…what the hell are you talking about? You have no idea how weird that just sounded!"

"Forget it, it's not like I can go back anyway, ever since that dingbat screwed everything up – though knowing your freakish interests, it would probably be right up your alley," Negaduck grumbled bitterly.

"Then tell me, why don't you?!"

"Because you'd probably tell me I'm cursed and that I'm 'involved' and doomed to suffer some horrid fate! You're a downer, get over it!"

Aviana snarled and seethed, "Oh you miserable, sanctimonious, ill-tempered, deplorable bastard!"

"Ah ah ah, careful Ave, that kind of talk isn't very ladylike," Negaduck chided snidely.

"I'll show you ladylike!" she screeched, clenching her fists.

"Now who's the violent one? You obviously don't practice what you preach."

"Fine! So I am hypocritical, sue me! At least I'm not afraid to take off some cheap mask!"

"I'M NOT AFRAID! AND THIS MASK WAS NOT CHEAP!" the villain roared.

The two glowered at each other disdainfully, trying desperately to be the first with a scathing comeback. Loosing her cool, Aviana snapped, "Fuzzy!"

"Girlie!"

"FUZZY!"

"GIRLIE!"

"That's it! This has got to be the dumbest conversation I've ever had!" Aviana yelled, bringing the shouting match to an abrupt end.

"That goes double for me!" Negaduck countered, "And by the way, I'm through! These past few days have been some of the most pointless in my entire life! I don't care if I'm involved, I don't care about trashing Dinkwing, and I don't care about you and your stupid, magical rock! I'm not dealing with that stone or that cow anymore! I've had it! I'm done! I'm outta here!"

"To do what?! Maim people? It's not like you have any friends to sympathize with. Jesus Christ you must have one miserable life," Aviana hissed.

"Chasing after a rock your whole life doesn't seem to be raising your level on the ol' friend-o-meter girlie," Negaduck shot back.

"You make me SICK!"

"DITTO!"

"Well then, if I make you so sick, why don't you just do things your way and shoot me?" Aviana fired back, immediately wishing she had not encouraged him.

"Because…" Negaduck seethed, "because I'd rather eat a flippin' burger right now, that's why!"

"Then go get your stupid burger!"

"Fine, I will!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

Each duck fired the coldest glares they could muster, both practically foaming at the mouth. Too furious for words, they turned simultaneously on their heels and marched away from each other with as much dignity as possible. After that little incident, however, dignity seemed a bit scarce.

Negaduck fumed down a dark alley with a make believe thundercloud hovering over him. His blood was boiling beneath his feathers. He did not care where his webbed feet led him, just as long as it was away from her, and Darkwing Duck, and Morgana, and Morgana's house, and Bulba, and everything. He wanted to leave.

The mallard leaned against a wall and let out a sigh like steam released from a teapot before it exploded. It was now more than ever that he wished he was home. He missed the Negaverse. He missed his unquestioned authority. He missed his house. He missed the wanton violence. C'mon, since when were terrorist bombings considered illegal anyhow?

A grungy rat emerged from behind a dented garbage can. The small rodent scurried about in its own dismal world until it caught sight of the black-masked mallard looming over him. The rat hissed and raised its hackles in defense.

Negaduck frowned at its insolence and retrieved a handgun from under his jacket. He pointed it casually at the small animal. The frightened rat hissed and shrunk lower, but held its ground, defending the hard won scraps it had found in the trash. Negaduck smiled malevolently. He held the creature's life in the palm of his hand. He had the power and control. He squeezed the trigger. The rodent's blood spattered against the garbage can.

Negaduck snorted with satisfaction and glanced around for any more vermin. This had been quite a sporting event back home between him and Launchpad. The oaf may have been as dense as a brick but he was always up for a rip-roaring game of target practice.

Negaduck smirked slightly at the memory and gazed at the gun, twirling it around in his hand nostalgically. He stopped. Despite his previous anger, he realized that he had not felt the urge to brandish the weapon in hours.

NOTE: I am _so _sorry about the wait. As it is, this chapter went through the most editing of them all, I scrapped and rewrote half of it, some parts more than once. The next update may be delayed as well, because I'm moving to a new house this week and I coughhaven't packedcough, plus I won't have access to a computer (oh God). Anyway, I'm looking at three more chapters for this fic, four at the very most.


	16. Not So Civil Disobedience

Disclaimer: Naturally, a disclaimer is placed at the heading of a written work in order to disclaim something, a.k.a. don't sue. Okay, raise your hand if you know what I'm disclaiming.

Reviewers, you have my gratitude!

_Parents were supposed to be role models, exemplars of adulthood to mold the putty of a child's mind. To a son, the father figure was especially important, for he was the truest paradigm of what it was to be a man._

_His parents were villains. Gun-wielding, underhanded, murdering crooks. Drake Mallard trembled hysterically as he watched his own father, his personal paragon of manhood, cowardly point a gun at an unarmed owl who had been referred to as "Hooter". _

_He had been lied to his entire life. Drake's young and fragile mind reeled. Maybe this was the one truth he could grasp. There was no such thing as "good". Maybe he should evolve into a bad guy too._

Darkwing Duck awoke suddenly and promptly rolled off Morgana's couch. He sat up and rubbed the head he had managed to bang against the floor, noticing how heavily he was breathing. Each gulp of air rattled against his ribs.

A strange scent entered his nostrils. What was it? Eh, whatever, probably another one of the manor's abnormalities.

His eyes and face itched from sleeping with his mask on, so he slid his fingers under the purple cloth to massage away the discomfort. The late morning sunlight poured in through Macabre Manor's cobwebbed windows. Darkwing ambled to the nearest one, scratching his back and yawning lethargically.

The mallard leaned on the windowsill and peered out into the streets. It looked to be a bright, beautiful day. The sun shone gloriously in the baby blue sky. With summer just around the corner, things appeared to be looking up. Did he have anything on tap today? Oh yeah, there was a killer computer cow on the rampage. He almost forgot.

Like the sound of a dozen elephants Gosalyn stampeded down the stairs tailed by Eek, Squeak, and Archie.

"Morning Dad," the duckling said breathlessly as she whisked past him.

"What's the hurry, the government found a small colony of life forms cultivating under your bed at home?" Darkwing questioned casually.

"Nope, not yet. Morgana made breakfast, duh. Can't you smell it?"

Gosalyn charged into the next room. Darkwing Duck cringed.

--

Darkwing sat rigidly, eyeing the gurgling mass of food on the plate before him. The food eyed him back.

Gosalyn was busy wolfing down her plate of breakfast without a care. Morgana made herself a plate and sat down with it across from Darkwing. She gave the mallard a venomous smile and began to eat.

Aviana trudged into the kitchen drearily, pushing her messy, barely-combed hair out of her face.

"Morning," she grumbled lowly.

"Well, aren't you quite the early bird," Darkwng jibed lightheartedly, "Late night? Hey, wait, where's that fractious fraternizer with foulness?"

"You mean Negaduck? Oh…I have no idea…nor do I want to have an idea," the duckette answered groggily, an edge creeping into her voice.

"Now that's _exactly _the attitude I want to hear!" Darkwing chirped with a glowing face.

Gosalyn's red head perked up and she questioned while chewing, "Wont sum brerkfirst?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Darkwing scolded quietly.

"Um, no thanks, I think I'll just be going," Aviana answered, not sure if the Morgana's 'scrambled eggs' had just twitched or she simply needed more sleep, "wouldn't want to impose. Call me on this watch thing if you hear anything about the eye."

"Which reminds me, I called J. Gander Hooter earlier. After getting over his initial shock that the durable Darkwing Duck was alive and kicking, he informed me that it's imperative that we get hold of the Devil's Eye and return it to SHUSH without a scratch. Huh, as if there was any doubt of its safety with _me _on the case," Darkwing spouted.

"Yeah sure, return it to SHUSH," Aviana muttered, dismissing it quickly.

The duckette was heading out of the kitchen. Darkwing's eagle eyes spotted opportunity floating in the air, and he quickly seized it.

"Hey, Aviana, want something for the road?" he cried a little too eagerly, dashing over to her and shoving his full plate of food into her hands.

"Thanks…Darkwing…" the duckette mumbled, watching the writhing meal warily.

Morgana slammed down her fork, making her breakfast squeal in pain. She glared at the crime fighter with burning eyes.

"Well Morg, how could I call myself a gentleman if I didn't offer her some victuals?" Darkwing said innocently, knowing that he would pay dearly for that later.

"_Victuals_," Gosalyn snorted, scooping seconds onto her plate.

The mallard and the sorceress began an intense staring match that the mallard lost miserably. Morgana smirked in satisfaction. Aviana and Gosalyn glanced awkwardly at each other and Aviana slid out of the kitchen.

--

Aviana entered what she hoped to be the foyer, but turned out to be none other than the library.

"Dammit," she cursed with annoyance, "I better not have to climb out the window again."

Like last night. Unable to find their way out of the fickle manor, she and Negaduck had to resort to a second story window. Aviana grimaced at the hole in her sweatshirt. Too bad the window tried to rip them to shreds on the way out. Then she grinned, recalling the sizable chunk taken out of Negaduck's cape and the look on his face when it happened. She scowled as further memories from the night before returned.

"Over-dressed weasel," the duckette spat to no one in particular.

Suddenly she heard a strange growling noise, akin to a mutated kitten.

"What the…"

Aviana lowered her head to see her scrambled egg rear and bare its fangs.

"Whoa shi – "

The food struck at her like a snake. Aviana yelped in shock and threw it out of her hands just as its tiny jaws snapped shut. The plate shattered on an aged, wooden table, and the belligerent omelette scurried out of sight.

Aviana stood still for a moment, wondering if her level on the food chain had just taken a dive. She shook her head and hastily began picking up the chunks of the broken plate. She was unsure about how fond Morgana was of her kitchenware, and that was all she needed – to be zapped into a zucchini or something worse.

The duckette hissed in pain as the sharp glass sliced into her finger. She immediately stuffed it into her mouth, sucking on the injury like a child. Red droplets of blood now adorned Morgana's table and various books and papers atop it.

She growled with frustration Hurriedly she attempted to wipe the papers clean, only to smear the red liquid.

"Ooookay, time for the 'run from your problems' tactic," Aviana muttered to herself, searching for a door, "What's this?"

Her eyes fell on the bloodstained parchment. It was yellowed with age, torn and crinkled at the edges. Written in an intricate scrawl was a mass of words in an ancient Transylvanian dialect. This rarely used language had been taught to the duckette – it was what every transcript pertaining to the Devil's Eye had ever been written in. Granted, learning the language had served her basically nothing until now.

Her eyes zipped back and forth as she desperately translated the words. Her heart raced. The missing part of the legend, years of fruitless searching, and it was all here on some random table. Or maybe not so random. The books and papers scattered on the table all seemed to be about the artifact. Morgana must have been doing some research.

Aviana had to question the sorceress, she had to get more information. A life of research had come down to this. Then again, perhaps coming to a witch who could mutate you in one blow with a broken plate and a bloodied ancient paper was not the smartest of ideas. Stuffing the paper into her cargo pocket, the duckette exited the library.

--

Darkwing's face looked as though a frustrated artist had chiseled it into stone.

"The evening news? Nothing. Newspaper? Nada. Police tipline? Zip. The hippies on the side of the street? Zilch. NO ONE knows anything on the whereabouts of Taurus Bulba! Honestly, how hard is it to find a massive robot bull with lasers?" the crime fighter fumed.

"Gee, dunno Dad," Gosalyn answered distantly.

The duckling's thoughts dwelled elsewhere. How was she going to convince her father to allow her to tag along? This had proved to be a tricky task in the past, let alone with Bulba. Maybe if she could get Morgana on her side…

"GOSALYN!"

"Wha-huh?" Gosalyn sputtered, snapping out of her plotting.

Darkwing raised an eyebrow and questioned sternly, "I was just asking you for the umpteenth time, how's your homework coming along little missy?"

"What homework?"

"What do you _mean_ 'what homework?' The kind that the school assigned in order to expand your knowledge!"

"Oooooooh, yeah, _that_ homework. Uh…"

Gosalyn glanced under the table where Archie sat amidst a slew of her homework papers.

"How's it goin' Archie?" Gosalyn whispered.

The arachnid picked up a piece of paper, crumpled it with his eight legs, and chucked it at her in response.

Gosalyn's head reappeared from under the table to see her father leaning forward and drumming his fingers, fixing her with a harsh stare.

"My homework's cool, Dad. Just about done. I don't see what's so hard about the Pythagorean junk anyway."

"Right…" Darkwing drawled.

Morgana Macabre drifted into the room, Eek and Squeak flapping alongside her.

"Does anyone know what happened to little Cornelius? He seemed terribly upset," Morgana questioned worriedly.

Gosalyn avoided her gaze, but Darkwing replied, "Not only do I not know what happened to your pet squid Morg, but I haven't the slightest inclination as to where Taurus Bulba is! I think I'll just call up Aviana and make a few rounds on the Ratcatcher."

Darkwing noticed the peeved look on Morgana's face.

"Care to join us?" he inquired irritably.

"No, I don't believe I will," the sorceress cooed while examining her nails, "I need to discuss something with my father."

Darkwing's fists tightened.

"What could you possibly need to discuss with that zombie?" he snapped.

Morgana returned "the look" once more.

"What concern is it of yours what I discuss with my family?" she snapped back.

"None whatsoever," Darkwing said pointedly.

The mallard tossed on his gray fedora and straightened his cape. Gosalyn quickly jumped off her chair, knowing the small actions were his cues to leave. It was now or never.

"Hey Dad, wait up!"

"Yeah Gos?"

"I was just wondering if I could – "

Darkwing's face hardened.

"No," he said flatly.

Gosalyn's jaw dropped and she cried, "How do you even know what I was going to ask?!"

"Gosalyn Gosalyn Gosalyn, you're very predictable in this field, dear," Darkwing tutted, "I'm sorry but I can't have you tagging along with me tonight."

"How come?" Gosalyn demanded.

"Because, most responsible parents would not permit their children to tangle with a crazy, murderous bull who can turn people into zombies. It's just not practical. Being a responsible parent myself, I am no exception to that rule," Darkwing stated calmly.

"You probably think I can't handle Bulba after last night! C'mon Dad, look at our track record, he hasn't whomped us yet!" Gosalyn retorted.

Darkwing frowned and said, "And YOU staying HERE rules out the possibility of any whomping!"

Gosalyn turned to the sorceress with pleading eyes.

"Morgana, don't you think I should go along to help Dad?"

Morgana bit her lip, sighing, "I'm dreadfully sorry Gos, but I'm concerned about your safety as well. I think it's best if you stay here, out of danger."

"I don't care, I'd be a whole lot safer with Taurus Bulba out of the picture, so I wanna help stop 'im!" Gosalyn declared.

"Listen young lady, we've had this conversation before. I don't know what it's gonna take to get you to realize that Bulba means business. I won't have you risking your neck if I can help it. Now, I promise you that justice will be served tonight or my name isn't Darkwing Duck – "

"It isn't," Gosalyn pointed out lowly.

"That's not the point!" Darkwing continued, "Okay…I'm going out to scout for the mechanical miscreant, and yooouuu are going to stay kaput. Kapische?"

"Sure, I'll just sit here bored outta my skull while you go slay zombies," Gosalyn muttered, turning to march out of the kitchen.

"Good, I'm – hey…"

Darkwing felt a tug on his cape. He looked down curiously and gasped.

"Morgana! Your floor is trying to swallow my cape!"

"Oh dear not again."

Morgana floated over to him, and the two scuffled with the floor. Gosalyn stopped and twisted around. They were completely distracted. The duckling grinned.

Gosalyn began tiptoeing past her father and the sorceress. Eek gasped and threw himself in front of her, squeaking madly.

"Relax, I've got a plan," Gosalyn whispered as she ducked past the bat.

Squeak rushed forward and grabbed her by a pigtail.

"Ouch! What?!" Gosalyn growled.

Squeak motioned to Gosalyn with one wing and to the struggling Darkwing with the other.

"I know what he said, but trust me, _this_'ll work," Gosalyn assured.

The duckling snuck out of the room unnoticed by the two adults. Eek and Squeak exchanged nervous looks.

--

Aviana stuffed her hands into her pocket. The wind had picked up, making it unusually cool for a pre-summer evening. She craned her neck to read the street signs of the post she was leaning against. Yup, Hookbill and Howl Drive, exactly where he was supposed to meet her.

The distant roar of a motorcycle got louder until Darkwing Duck pulled the Ratcatcher to the curb. The engine purred hungrily, as if anxious to begin the hunt.

"Hop in!" Darkwing called.

Aviana hoisted herself into the sidecar and they sped off into the busy streets of St. Canard.

"There should be a helmet down there somewhere," Darkwing informed her.

Aviana reached down under the dashboard of the sidecar and picked up a helmet off the floor. She attempted to cram it on her head, but to no avail.

"How many passengers do you get that have heads this small?" Aviana questioned with a quizzical expression.

"That one's probably Gosalyn's. Dunno why her helmet would be in here though…" Darkwing murmured thoughtfully.

Aviana tossed the small helmet to the floor and muttered, "Well, just do me a favor and try not to be too bullheaded when you're driving."

"Speaking of bullheaded, you haven't seen everyone's favorite cyborg, have you? I can't even find a drop of motor oil!" Darkwing griped.

"Nope, not a clue," the duckette answered.

"When we _do_ find him, we just have to be sure to safely recover that Devil's Eye. J. Gander really seemed to stress that. We'll just hand it over to SHUSH and finish this fully flustering fiasco."

Aviana nodded quickly, feeling a small balloon of guilt swell in her stomach. In an effort to change the subject she questioned, "So uh, do you know anything about Morgana's family by any chance?"

Darkwing scowled behind the visor of his helmet.

"More than I want to," he hissed.

"I mean her extended family, like a family tree sort of thing," Aviana said, pulling out one of the two pieces of parchment she had retrieved from the manor earlier.

Darkwing snatched the parchment out of her hand, scanning it over. His brow furrowed.

"What's the deal, I can't read any of this!" he cried.

"Of course you can't, it's an old language that isn't used anymore. There's not even a specific name for it; the language is pretty much useless. Figures I would learn it. Anyway, it talks about the history of the Devil's Eye that I never knew about, so I think it's the missing part of the legend. But I need to know about Morgana's ancestors," Aviana stated.

"If Morgana's ancestors are anything like the ones I've met…well, perish the thought. Sadly, and I use that term lightly, I never really got around to asking her about the rest of her dear family. All I know is that they've lived in a dump of a castle in Transylvania practically forever – "

Realizing that this chat held the potential to transform into a prolonged speech, Aviana leaned back and stretched out her legs. As she extended, her foot came in contact with something soft.

"_Ow! Watch it!_" came a muffled whisper.

Aviana yelped in alarm and tucked her foot back, shouting, "I think there's someone down there!"

"What? In Transylvania?" Darkwing asked her with a perplexed look, "Of course there are. They're called Transylvanians. Anyway, if you ask me, Morgana's family got quite a – "

"No! Down here, in the sidecar!" Aviana growled.

"Who could be…" Darkwing began, but realization slapped him in the face.

The crime fighter brought the Ratcatcher to a sudden halt that made Aviana nearly fly out of her seat. He reached beneath the dashboard of the sidecar. To Aviana's surprise, he pulled out a sheepish Quiverwing Quack.

"Uh, hiya Dad," she said with a small, nervous wave.

"GOSALYN 'I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO MY FATHER' MALLARD!" Darkwing bellowed, "Have you lost your mind?! What part of 'you're not allowed to come along' don't you understand?!"

"No, I didn't, I uh, just fell into the Ratcatcher…by accident…" Quiverwing sputtered weakly.

"You'll have to do better than that young lady, I wasn't born yesterday! Gosalyn, you are – "

"Darkwing, don't call me that when I'm Quiverwing – "

"_Gosalyn_, you are _eleven years old – _"

"Almost twelve – "

"And still, you insist on following a deranged murderer. That's not healthy! And on top of that, I told you one thing and you did the complete opposite. You disobeyed a parent! THAT WOULD BE IN DIRECT VIOLATION WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!" Darkwing seethed.

"Yeah, but the cops always tell you to stop throwing crooks in jail and setting their parole without the police's consent, but you still seem to do it anyway!" Gosalyn countered.

"That's a new one," Aviana muttered.

Darkwing faltered guiltily for a moment before he regained his composure.

"_Do as I say, not as I do!_" he hissed, "Bulba's got the grudge with me, so I'll handle him – "

"How can you say that, did you forget about Grandpa?!" Quiverwing shrieked.

Darkwing's eyes narrowed and he continued, "I didn't forget about your grandfather Gos, I never will. It's just that _you're too young! _Now, for your complete disregard for my authority, you're grounded! Grounded times infinity! Grounded 'til cows fly – "

"DARKWING LOOK OUT!"

_SLAM!_

Darkwing felt as though a bulldozer had just smashed into the back of his head. Gosalyn dropped out of his hands and Darkwing rocketed forward out of his seat. He hit the sidewalk and rolled to a stop.

Darkwing laid on the concrete, his mind swimming. The shock gave way to fiery pain and he clutched his skull as if trying to hold it together. He could already feel a hefty lump swelling, a warm liquid oozing through his fingers. The mallard was barely aware of the frightened pedestrians stumbling over each other to escape. His eyesight was blurred and he strived to blink it away. Suddenly a large bull sporting robotic wings and a twisted smile hovered over him.

"Well, whaddaya know…a flying cow," Darkwing mused dreamily.

"Good evening, duck," came an accented reply.

Reality finally checked in to the hotel of Darkwing's mind. He had found Taurus Bulba – or rather, the other way around.

With a mechanized whir the cyborg replaced his glider wings for his arms and legs and dropped casually to the ground next to Darkwing. He leaned over the fallen crime fighter with a mad grin, holding his hands behind his back, making him look disturbingly formal.

"Well now, I am a bit surprised to see back in your regular form Darkwing. A pity, the undead style really suited you nicely," Taurus cooed.

"You should know by now Bulbsy," Darkwing jeered, valiantly pushing himself to his feet, "you can never keep Darkwing Duck down! _Oof!_"

Taurus Bulba lifted a heavy, metal foot and brought it down on Darkwing's chest, pinning him roughly to the cement.

"Oh yes, I believe I can keep you down," the bull chuckled.

Bulba leaned closer to Darkwing. His weight increased on the mallard's ribcage, pushing the air from Darkwing's lungs. He kicked and squirmed. Darkwing tried to push the weighty foot away, but it did not budge.

"Tell me Darkwing, now that I have your attention, how does it feel when the _pressure_ is on?" Bulba asked in a voice coated with evil, driving harder on Darkwing's chest.

"GET OFFA HIM! NOW!"

Adrenaline pulsed through Quiverwing's body as she leapt on top of the bull. She clawed and kicked savagely at his face, trying to do as much damage as possible.

"Gos, get away from here!" Darkwing wheezed.

Bulba roared and glared harshly at the duckling, and his cyber optic eye narrowed on her dangerously. His stare drained the energy from Quiverwing. Her kicking and scratching slowly ended.

"Thought I'd just try and uh…that's a cool eye you've got there, heh heh…um…" Quiverwing trailed off feebly, finishing in a nervous gulp.

The bull peeled her off of his with his claw of a hand and held her at eyelevel. He reached into a hidden compartment in his armor and brandished the Devil's Eye. He held it high over Quiverwing, and the moon sparkled grimly n the black glass.

"This ought to take the spirit out of you!" Taurus yelled.

Aviana gasped as she saw the orb silhouetted against the milky-white moon. She lunged forward, latching on to the bull's outstretched arm. Bulba staggered off balance. His foot left Darkwing's chest, and the mallard swallowed a much-needed gulp of air.

"Give me that!" the duckette grunted, making a desperate reach for the Eye.

Bulba looked from Gosalyn to Aviana, dumbfounded at being assaulted twice in less than a minute. He raged, "What is this? I have had enough of this foolery! EGGMEN!"

Within seconds, no less than a hundred soulless eggmen had arrived at the scene. They poured from alleyways and buildings, leapt off of rooftops, crawled out of sewers. The cracking of their joints and the low grunts that escaped from their twisted beaks echoed in what seemed a hellish chorus.

Taurus beckoned to a group of especially burly eggmen. The drones lumbered forward, eager for his orders.

"Take these two nuisances to headquarters," the bull commanded, tossing Quiverwing and Aviana into their ghoulish arms, "Get them ready for the little surprise I have in store."

The eggmen silently assented and carried their two struggling captives down the street, moving at an alarming clip.

Bulba grinned and continued, "And I will deal with my dear friend Darkwing…what? Where did he go?!"

"Over here, beef breath!"

The cyborg whipped around, only to see Darkwing lob a capsule directly into his face. It exploded in a cloud of purple smoke. The next thing the bull knew his eyes were drooping…he was so tired…a quick nap would be nice…

Taurus Bulba's legs gave out beneath him, sound asleep and snoring before he hit the ground.

"Ah yes, big game sleeping gas, never leave home without it," Darkwing quipped.

He darted past the snoozing bull and hopped onto the Ratcatcher.

"Pleasant dreams!" Darkwing called to Bulba, and then sped off in the eggmen's direction.

He could see the gang of eggmen at the end of the street. Darkwing gunned the acceleration. He was gaining on them…

"C'mon Darkwing!" he heard Quiverwing call.

An eggman acknowledged her cry and turned around.

"Oops," Quiverwing said.

The eggman motioned to the others. They veered to the left and into a narrow alley. Darkwing knew where the alley led, he knew where he could cut them off.

Without sparing a glance at the traffic light Darkwing made a sharp turn to the left –

"YAAHHH!"

– Where an oncoming motorcycle awaited. Darkwing swerved to his right, as did the other motorcyclist. They clipped each other, and with the crime fighter's unnecessary speed it sent the Ratcatcher out of control and right into a public mailbox.

Smoke billowed from the purple bike's engine, the entire front of the vehicle crumpled. Darkwing gazed the mailbox he had managed to uproot.

"Darn postal service," he muttered.

For a split second he wondered about the other driver before he heard a familiar, disgruntled voice.

"MY WHEELS! All right, whoever did this, I'm gonna take your license and drive it right up your – YOU!" Negaduck cried.

"YOU!" Darkwing cried back.

"Look what you did Dumbwing!" Negaduck screeched, pointing back to where his motorcycle was bent around a lamppost.

Darkwing shook his head and shouted, "What are you doing here?!"

"Joyriding, right up until now! What are _you_ doing here?!" came Negaduck's heated reply.

"I'm saving the lives of innocent citizens, and they're about to get away!"

"Who is?!"

"We are!" shouted a third voice

Darkwing and Negaduck followed the sound of the voice to the rooftops. There stood Taurus Bulba, fully awake and flanked by his eggmen, along with Quiverwing and Aviana, still wrestling with their captors.

"Way to go Fuzzy, he was just about to save us!" Aviana snapped down to Negaduck sourly.

"My deepest regrets, dear," Bulba announced, "but Darkwing Duck will not be saving anyone this night."

"By the time you find me Darkwing, it will already be too late," he said with a gesture towards Quiverwing, "I have underestimated you before but now you have miscalculated me. You will finally understand the agony you have bestowed upon me…and St. Canard will wallow in the failure of its, ahem, 'truest hero' and its 'public enemy number one'!"

Both Darkwing and Negaduck clenched their fists and leaned forward aggressively.

"Is that a challenge?" Negaduck hissed with a deep sense of resentment.

The bull sneered at him and shouted, "You had better believe it!"

With his words still echoing in the air, Taurus sprouted his glider wings and disappeared in the jungle of city buildings. The eggmen followed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with unnatural speed and agility.

"No!" Darkwing shouted defiantly, streaking after them down the street.

Unfortunately, he was no match for the zombies on foot. The crime fighter snarled resiliently, "That belligerent bull may think he's won, but he's as wrong as a dropout on the SAT's! No one tops the supreme tracking abilities of Darkwing Duck!"

Darkwing whipped out his overlarge magnifying glass and bent close to the ground, muttering to himself. Negaduck rolled his eyes.

--

"Only the most nominal clue is all I need, the smallest drop of oil, the most miniscule shred of metal…"

Darkwing trotted in a winding path down the street, examining each and every crevice in the pavement.

Finally he straightened up and cried indignantly, "But it would help if he would LEAVE the most nominal clue! This is hopeless!'

Suddenly Negaduck bustled past him, confident of his destination.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Darkwing called, trying not to make his desperation too obvious.

Negaduck pointed wordlessly to the side. Darkwing followed his gesture to the window of a Radio Quack store, where a dozen TV's were displaying the St. Canard Late Edition News.

"_This is Tom Lockjaw with tonight's breaking news. Taurus Bulba strikes again, this time atop the Gooseman Brothers Executive Building. Citizens watch in horror as…_"

"I knew that," Darkwing grumbled to himself.

He jogged to catch up with his double. Negaduck seemed to ignore him. Not even a wisecrack escaped his beak. Darkwing's brow furrowed.

"Gee Negs, you seem unusually subdued. No petty insult? Not even a pathetic ridicule, perhaps?"

"Shut up Darkwing Dump."

"Oh c'mon, you can't expect me to believe that you're helping me out of the goodness of your heart."

Negaduck wheeled to face him, his beak barely inches from his opposite's face.

"I'm not _helping_ you, I'm reestablishing my position, idiot! The guys back at the pub think I'm going soft…they think I'm helping you and Av – her. I've got my own agenda, so beat it!" Negaduck seethed.

"I can't beat it Negamuck, I'm going the same way!" Darkwing returned.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. The night only seemed to drop in temperature; anyone who did not know better would mistake the late spring night for a brisk fall one.

Finally the Goosemen Brothers building came into sight. The hint of shadows moving on the rooftop made Darkwing's stomach churn. The two identical mallards ducked behind a parked car.

"Look at all of the eggmen guarding the entrance!" Darkwing whispered furiously.

"I'm not blind," Negaduck hissed.

Darkwing scowled.

"I know you're not! I'm just expressing my alarm!"

He wasn't lying. The building was teeming with grunting zombies.

"How am I supposed to save them now? There's no way we could infiltrate that place, even if we cooperated! No Morgana, no Launchpad, no SHUSH, no Justice Ducks…just you! Someone up there does NOT like me! Okay, I've got about five minutes to concoct a miraculous plan, so be quiet!" Darkwing cried hopelessly, thudding his head against the doorframe.

Negaduck drummed his fingers thoughtfully. He wanted to get up there nearly if not as bad as Darkwing did. What to do?

The thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. No, he couldn't, he wouldn't…but…

Negaduck's pride was berating him harshly, but he did his best to ignore it.

"Cool your jets Dorkwing," Negaduck began, fighting to get to words out, "I… man, I'm gonna hate myself for this…I already hate myself for this, but…I think I know who could help us."

NOTE: Two more chapters to go. So help me, I will get this mother done before the end of June.


	17. Don't FOEget to Lend a Hand

Disclaimer: More characters are introduced in this one, and alas, they're not mine either.

Again, thank you reviewers. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy it.

--

Darkwing Duck eyed the deteriorating walls of Billy Bob's Fish n' Chips.

"What _is _it with you villains and old, abandoned warehouses anyway? Why not a comfortable condo with a nice view of the bay or something?"

Negaduck regarded him in a calm manner.

"Hey, a warehouse has got it all – heavy machinery, lots of space, dark, gloomy décor, no girl scouts skulking around…what's not to love?"

"I see," Darkwing said pointedly.

There was a long, tense pause that caused Negaduck to begin pacing and Darkwing to tap his foot.

"I still can't figure out why in Satan's name I agreed to go through with this," Negaduck declared.

Darkwing glared at him and said, "It was your 'brilliant' idea to begin with!"

"I didn't think you'd go along with it!" Negaduck snapped, "especially after you said, and I quote, 'This lame piece of tripe you call an idea goes against everything I deem appropriate, I won't do this'!"

"Rest assured Negs, you are the last person I would ever want to compromise with."

"You and me both, Porkwing. And I'll have you know it delights me to see the kind of risk you've so moronically thrown yourself into."

"Ha, I scoff at your supposed risk! They'd no sooner team up with you than me. They hate us both."

"But you forget, they FEAR me."

"They also fear the light of truth, which I, Darkwing Duck, so effortlessly represent. And not only are they afraid of truth, but they're also late."

"Gee willikers, there's a surprise."

No sooner had the black-masked mallard finished his sarcastic remark than he heard the squeak of a door opening in the next room. Darkwing and Negaduck leaned against their door, listening intently.

There were several tentative footsteps, followed by a chair scraping the floor and a rustle of leaves as the visitor sat down. The door opened again, mingled with bells jingling.

"Bushfruit!" came a jovial voice, "Long time no crime spree! Hey, where's the fire?"

"What fire?"

The door opened again, and the sound of water sloshing could be heard.

A gurgling voice boomed, "It's finally arrived! Here to wash away all your – what are you guys doing here?"

The door swung open with a loud _slam_ and a figure burst into the room, breathing heavily.

"I came here as fast as I could," wheezed a nasal voice, "Where are the little darlings?"

"Right here, Sparky!"

"I meant the lightbulbs! And if you call me that one more time Banana Brain, I'm gonna…wait…why are all you guys here? It's not my birthday, is it? Please don't tell me it is, I can't take anymore bobbing for apples…"

"Or _fried _apples, in your case."

Darkwing smiled grimly behind the door.

"Yep, sounds like they finally showed up. Okay Negaduck, we've got to approach them tactfully and non-aggressive-like if we want them to cooperate…"

"Hey fellas, anyone know why the heck we're all here? Last time we were all together it was with Negadope," the nasal one pointed out.

"Hee hee yeah, the masked mallard of meatheads!"

Negaduck saw red as he eavesdropped on the conversation.

"LEMME AT'EM!" he roared, "I'll disembowel 'em! I'll make shish kabobs out of their tiny brains! I'll – "

The villain charged forward, but Darkwing grabbed him by the cape and held him back.

"Hold it! There will be no disemboweling while Darkwing Duck is on duty!" Darkwing reminded his double desperately.

The chat of the other four continued with a, "I don't know who is worse, Negacluck or his wannabe Doltwing Dork!"

"What? Hey…" Darkwing growled, releasing Negaduck's cape.

"Man, if I had Negaduck here right now I'd – "

The black-masked mallard exploded through the door, his face bent in fury.

"You'd _what_, Bushroot?!" he bellowed.

The deep green plant-duck's voice died in his throat.

"Negaduck!" the Fearsome Four gasped in unison.

Darkwing trudged into the room as well, not looking too pleased himself.

"_And_ Darkwing Duck?" Megavolt, in usual yellow jumpsuit and battery pack, asked.

"Two egomaniacs for the price of one!" Liquidator, soggy as ever, announced.

"What do you want with us?"

"It's so late!"

"I'm hungry for – "

"ALL RIGHT!" Darkwing screamed, "Time is of the essence people! Let's get down to business. You all know why you're here – "

"For the fire! FIRE! Toys! They're burning the Whiffle Wuss at the stake!" Quackerjack cried elatedly.

"Uh, no. I got a call saying they were opening a plant sanctuary," Bushroot said.

"So sorry, but that's not correct. Research shows that the St. Canard docks is the cache for organized crime! Least that's what the phone call said," Liquidator proclaimed.

"But I heard…something…can't…remember…" Megavolt grunted, pounding his temples.

Bushroot sputtered, "Wait, so we all got calls to come down to the same creepy place for different reasons?"

"Correct Bushy, and we called you. We had to get you all down here one way or another, and since you're so gullible, why not?" Darkwing stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"How'd he get our numbers?" Mr. Banana Brain asked.

"It's called a phonebook, moron," Negaduck spat, glaring at the jester holding the strange doll.

"We're in the phonebook?" a clearly shocked Megavolt inquired.

"_Anyway,_" Darkwing interjected, "as you may have already known, the nefarious Taurus Bulba is on the loose."

The masked mallard paused dramatically, waiting for pained gasps and grave nods. On the contrary, all he got was a "Taurus Bulba? That's a zodiac sign, right?"

Darkwing felt like he had been slapped in the face. What gives? Had they been sleeping under a rock on Mars?

"You mean to tell me, that none of you have ever heard of Taurus Bulba?!" he asked in high-pitched voice.

The Fearsome Four shook their heads. Darkwing let out a strangled cry and shouted, "The biggest crime lord of the decade, my arch enemy, who nearly took over the world – twice – but was thwarted by none other than Darkwing Duck, who risked his life – twice – to save you and the other citizens of St. Canard from utter elimination!"

"Ooooh…_that _Taurus Bulba," Bushroot drawled.

"_Biggest crime lord_, pah," Negaduck scoffed.

"I thought I was your arch!" Megavolt cried.

After regaining his composure Darkwing continued, "And now he's, heh heh, trying to obliterate me and take over the city again so uh, I uh, that is to say, _Negaduck_ and I um, we need your h…your h…"

"Our hamburgers?" Quackerjack tried.

"Sorry folks, but the survey says the caped crime fighter and the caped crime causer need our _help_," Liquidator cooed smugly.

"HA! That's rich!" Megavolt laughed and began chanting, "Negaduck needs our he-elp, Negaduck needs our he-elp, Negaduck needs our ULP!"

Negaduck grabbed him by the collar and shoved his beak into his goggles. He stared the rat down, until Megavolt squeaked timidly, "Sorry."

"So what if we don't help you? You tried to steal our powers, power-stealer!" Quackerjack cried, pointing an accusing finger at Negaduck.

"Yeah, and us helping Darkwimp…enough said," Megavolt stated.

"Give us one good reason why we should help," Bushroot declared while crossing his leafy arms.

"You either help us or have your soul stolen. It's really one or the other," Negaduck pointed out.

"Cool!" Quackerjack exclaimed.

"S-soul stolen?" Bushroot stuttered.

Negaduck cleared his throat and said casually, "You got it Bushbrain. You either lend a hand or you don't. Lend a hand, save yourselves from a horrible fate. Don't lend a hand, and that stupid bull destroys the city. So that means no more plants –"

"No! He can't! That's horrible!"

" – no more money – "

"No refunds available?"

" – no more toys – "

"D'oh!"

" – and no freaking lightbulbs."

"Not even a forty watt?"

"Not even a forty watt."

"NOOOO!"

Darkwing rolled his eyes.

"So are you guys gonna help us or not? I need an answer in oh, about uh, NOW," Darkwing snapped, tapping his foot even harder. He was really starting to lose his patience. Surrounded by capricious super villains while his daughter's life was on the line did not fit in his favorite situations list.

"So let me get this straight…" Megavolt began, producing a frustrated groan from Darkwing, "You want us, four super villains who haven't worked together in over a year…I think it was a year…anyway, you want us to join up with the two ducks we hate most to save a city we try on a near nightly basis to rob blind, just because you say so! IS THAT IT?!

Darkwing and Negaduck glanced at each other, then nodded.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Darkwing said.

Megavolt turned back to his three group mates. They muttered to one another as Darkwing and Negaduck watched. Finally, the Fearsome Four turned around, hands behind their backs, looking for all the world like elite businessmen.

Liquidator began, "The consensus shows: we will help you. But wait there's more – we have one condition."

"Spill it," Negaduck said irritably.

"Negaduck, you won't steal our powers. Again," Megavolt stated briskly.

"You won't be a bossy poopykins," Quackerjack continued.

"And you won't resort to name calling, attempts on our life, gracious brutality, or any distinctive likenesses thereof," Liquidator finished.

Negaduck scowled as Liquidator turned to Darkwing.

"And to the terror that flaps…"

"No ego!"

"No tricks!"

"No arresting!"

"No name calling!"

"No mental degradation!"

"Basically, don't be yourself."

Darkwing vented his frustration through his tapping foot while Negaduck snarled, "That's a hell of a lot more than 'one condition' you knobs!"

"Ah ah ah," Quackerjack chided, "no name calling…"

Darkwing and Negaduck slapped their foreheads and groaned simultaneously.

--

A cold, foreboding breeze swept by, shifting Quiverwing's hat and tussling her bangs. She shivered involuntarily. Nothing on the stark rooftop shielded her from the unusually cold weather, save the heavy steel cords that bound her hands and feet.

Launchpad was looming over her, arms crossed. Four days ago he was one of her best friends. Now he was ready to strangle her if she tried to escape.

Aviana was busy being interrogated by Taurus Bulba, who was convinced that if he could not extract any information from Quiverwing he could certainly get it from her. Every now and then the duckling heard furious snippets from the conversation…

"For the last time, who is Darkwing Duck? Where does he live?!"

"I told you, _I don't know!_ I've lived here for a week! I couldn't tell you what my phone number is!"

Quiverwing let out a shaky sigh. She despairingly recalled her father once telling her telling her that "her foolhardiness knew no bounds." At the time she had mocked him for using the word "foolhardiness" but now she wished she would have heeded his words. For once.

Why had she ignored him completely? Why didn't she just listen when someone was trying to talk her out of risking her life?

She was immortal, that's why, invincible, just like Darkwing Duck was. Any minute now she would hear "I am the terror" and everything would be fine.

Quiverwing fidgeted with the cords that chafed her wrists, waiting as patiently as a stressed eleven-year-old could. No masked avenger arrived, not even, dare she think it, a cop.

Aviana landed next to her, tearing the small crime fighter from her daydreaming. Bulba shoved Launchpad aside and hovered over them. Aviana said a few choice words to him that made Quiverwing crack a grin.

"Say what you will, your impudence will be justified later," the cyborg snarled.

Taurus turned to Quiverwing with a nauseating smile that caused her tenacity to ebb away like the tide. A murderer was no more than a foot from her face.

"And how are you tonight, my little spirited one?" he asked.

Quiverwing eyed him warily. His voice sounded strange, his one real eye edging on hysteria. The duckling's heart stopped. He must be preparing to end her life. Cold blood. She needed to stall, to provide the little window of opportunity for Darkwing to slip into.

"So uh, how's the robot gig been workin' for ya? Has your life been any, um, different?"

"Stop trying to buy time," Taurus Bulba reprimanded, "you have nothing to bargain with, you little tormenter. Besides, why would I kill you now, without the pleasure of your _father_ to bear witness? Why, G_oo_salyn?"

The cyborg stretched his robotic arm towards Quiverwing's face. She cringed and backed away frantically, only to collide with Launchpad's leg. No escape. There was a metallic whir as the pincers that sufficed as Bulba's hand clamped down of the soft material of Quiverwing's mask.

She squeezed her eyes shut and the bull peeled off her mask with surprising gentleness. The pincer bumped against her beak, not so much the cold metal as being touched by something vile making her shudder.

The mask exchanged hands and Bulba fingered the material with his gloved hand. He stared at it longingly for a moment before carelessly tossing it into the air. Gosalyn watched as her identity of Quiverwing Quack floated away in the breeze.

"Now that we can finally be face to face, G_oo_salyn, do you notice anything interesting about our view?" Bulba asked silkily.

Gosalyn followed his gesture and stared at the St. Canard skyline. So what, it was just the city…and Audubon Bay Bridge…and the tower…

"Uh oh," Gosalyn hissed, her green eyes widening.

Aviana's gaze flitted from Bulba's sick grin to Gosalyn's horrified expression, not enjoying being left in the dark. Taurus Bulba was becoming uncharacteristically giddy.

"It is so simple…you and Darkwing, you are not impenetrable blockades of stone. You can be toyed with, tortured, killed…so easily! With you, little G_oo_salyn, in my clutches, why, Darkwing will do anything! All for his dear daughter! He may even destroy his own hideout, should I feel the need."

Aviana's eyes nearly popped out of her skull and her head snapped back to the bridge. Unfazed, Bulba continued.

"I wondered…oh how I wondered…how could mere mortals defeat ME, the most powerful being on Earth…I did not realize how vulnerable you were. That you and Darkwing are made from flesh and blood, not stone…the flesh and blood you have denied ME!"

Taurus looked down at the pale but otherwise unshaken Gosalyn with an almost grandfatherly expression.

"G_oo_salyn…you are a child. And children enjoy jokes, do they not? I have a joke for you, I have something that will make you laugh. It makes _me_ laugh. Here it is: Why did the meddling little girl and the egotistical clown cross the road?"

Gosalyn did not answer but Taurus Bulba continued without missing a beat.

"So they could lend their flesh to Taurus Bulba!"

The cyborg's head pitched back in hysterical laughter.

"That was perhaps the worst punch line I've ever heard," Aviana whispered weakly.

"And I thought Dad told bad jokes," Gosalyn croaked.

The bull's cackling persisted. It was cold and unnaturally high-pitched, like he had swallowed an entire helium tank. Aviana gave him a revolted stare, but Gosalyn just watched in silence as Taurus Bulba's sanity slipped away from him.

--

"The dire dwelling is demonized by devilish drones deterring the duck's duty. Undaunted, the dashing, determined duck of danger decides to – ow! Quit poking, bucko!"

Quackjack giggled and danced out of Darkwing's reach. The rest of the motley crew regarded the heavily secured building gravely.

"There must be a pretty good reason why I'm doing this, if only I could remember it," Megavolt said, then grunted as Quackerjack poked him at the base of his skull.

"It was a very good reason," Darkwing assured him casually.

"Long time user, first time complainer: how do we infiltrate Gooseman Brothers?" Liquidator asked, then lurched as Quackerjack stuck his finger right through his watery head.

"Ooooh lay off!" Bushroot griped to the jester as he poked him in the side.

"We infiltrate it with the help of the whiner-forty-niner over here," Negaduck answered, gesturing to the plant-duck.

Quackerjack crept up behind Negaduck in what he believed was with cat-like stealth, his finger poised. Negaduck whipped around.

"Touch me and you can kiss your internal organs goodbye!"

Quackerjack pouted and sulked back to Megavolt. He whispered something into the rodent's ear that sounded like "spoilsport."

"Okay _gentlemen_," Darkwing began sarcastically, "there's an open window on the left, fourth story. Keep to the shadows and _be quiet_. Silent. No even a peep. Got that?"

"Got it!" the Fearsome Four said loudly, a broad grin on each face.

"You've got a knack for setting yourself up Dupedwing," Negaduck commented.

Darkwing scowled and muttered, "No one asked you."

The six unlikely cohorts snuck down the alley single file; Liquidator bringing up the rear, Darkwing and Negaduck waging a silent but violent battle for the front. They retreated a block from the Gooseman building and looped back around – an assault from the side would be less dramatic than a frontal one.

"Y-You said that I, I would have s-something to do with infiltrating this, er, what is it you want me to do, exactly?" Bushroot stuttered, looking from the eggmen to the fourth-story window.

"What do you think?! We need to go up! Plants go up! It's not that hard!" Negaduck returned, exasperated.

Bushroot nodded fervently.

"Oh oh oh oh I get it!"

As the plant-duck rushed forward Darkwing called to him, "Be inconspicuous, the biggest advantage we have over Bulba is the element of – "

The mallard was cut short by a towering Douglas fir lumbering their way, each step it took causing the ground to tremble.

"…surprise," Darkwing finished dryly.

Various eggmen made frantic moves toward it, but the fir sent them flying with a swing of its branches. Bushroot cupped his leafy hands around his beak and shouted to the tree, "Hey Doug, can you do me a favor? We need to reach that window up there, the open one on the fourth floor! Think you can help us?"

Darkwing could only assume that the evergreen had obliged as the sound of wood creaking echoed in the air. The tree bent over, extending its branches towards the group. Megavolt, Quackerjack, and Liquidator backed away, but were soon scooped up in a mess of sticky sap and pointy needles.

"Hey Sparky, you like math – what did the acorn say when he grew up?" Quackerjack asked snidely.

"Don't call me Sparky!"

"EERRRR! Wrong answer!"

Negaduck, on the other hand, was not in a joking mood.

"Oh no ya don't," he snarled, dodging the swipes the tree made for him, "I don't trust anything that doesn't die if you skin it alive – HEY! WHADDAYA THINK YER DOIN'?!"

The tree plucked up the enraged villain by his cape and hoisted him into the air. Darkwing, who was lounging on a branch nearby, called to him, "Relax Negs, enjoy the ride! As I said before, this was your idea!"

Negaduck shouted the unprintable to him, but it was not enough to wipe the smug grin plastered on Darkwing's face.

No sooner had the tree picked them up then it dumped them through the window. They straightened up and brushed away the dirt, while Liquidator just frowned at the various needles and sap floating aimlessly in his body.

"See ya Doug! Thanks!" Bushroot called to the departing tree, waving goodbye.

"Yeah, thanks Doug," Negaduck muttered under his breath.

Darkwing squinted, trying to see his own hand directly in front of his face. The room was filled with inky darkness. Suddenly he heard Megavolt's nasal voice directly behind him, causing Darkwing to jump.

"Hmm, power's out. Need a light?" the rodent asked, a bolt of electricity crackling between his thumb and forefinger.

"No!" Darkwing hissed and swatted Megavolt's hand away, "we need to be as subtle as possible. We can't draw attention to ourselves!"

"And since we all have night vision like you Darkwing Dufus, we should have no problem getting up to the rooftop of a strange building in the dark. And should we crash into something and break it, at least it won't draw NEARLY as much attention as that little light," Negaduck drawled sarcastically.

"Can it Negaslime! If you're dumb enough to go waltzing into something in here then you can just hop right back out that window! That is, if you're not too afwaid of da big bad twee," Darkwing jibed in a babyish tone.

"Come over here and I'll tell you the story about how Mr. Negaduck kicked Mr. Ditzwing's ass!"

"Sorry Negadork, I'm too old for stories, buy I think _Doug_ might be interested in a few!"

As the two mallards bickered in the darkness, Bushroot sighed. Standing in an unknown building in the dark listening to his two least favorite ducks argue was not his favorite pastime. He wondered absently if he had remembered to feed Spike when he felt a boot crunch down on his foot.

"OUCH!" the plant-duck yelped, hopping on one foot, "Why doncha watch where you're going Megavolt!"

"Me? What the heck did I do?" Megavolt screeched indignantly.

Bushroot hopped in a circle to where he heard Megavolt's voice. He could not see the rat's face, but he knew it must be showered in guilt.

"You stepped on my foot, that's what!"

"No way! I've just been standing here listening to Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber over here argue! You're climbing up the wrong tree petal puss!"

"You've got your wires crossed battery boy, whoever stepped on my foot has boots on! And since you happen to be the only one that bothers to wear shoes – "

"I didn't step on your stupid foot!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"SHUUUUT UUUP!" Negaduck bellowed.

There was dead silence, save for Darkwing's quiet wisecrack, "Oh joy, now everyone in St. Canard knows where we are."

Darkwing seemed the only one who dared to speak until there was a quick whiff of gasoline and Negaduck's flamethrower blazed to life. Orange firelight flooded the room, flickering across the Fearsome Four's worried faces.

"Ooooh fire!" Quackerjack squealed.

"Now that we have some light on the subject," Negaduck said in a dangerously steady voice, "care to tell me just what exactly is the problem?"

"Well…uh…Bushbrain here, he uh…he said that I uh, seemed to have stepped on his foot, but I didn't – "

"B-b-b-but he did, he had to, whoever s-stepped on my foot was w-wearing boots, and he's the only one who w-wears shoes, right Negaduck? Negaduck?"

But Negaduck was not listening to Bushroot or even looking at him. Instead he seemed to be staring right past him with a "deer caught in the headlights" expression. Same with Darkwing.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" Megavolt asked brusquely.

No answer. He saw Darkwing numbly reach for his gas gun, then realize he did not have it. Megavolt frowned. What were they looking at?

Suddenly the Fearsome Four got the hint. They slowly turned around – and came face to face with dozens of sickly, brutish eggmen.

"They look like zombies!" Bushroot shrieked, seeing them up close for the first time.

"Two out of three doctors say that's because they ARE zombies!" Liquidator boomed.

"Told ya I didn't step on your foot," Megavolt commented.

The eggmen lunged forward and crashed through the Fearsome Four who let out a collective "AARRGGGHHH!" Darkwing saw Negaduck use his flamethrower on an eggman, only to get tackled from behind. The weapon flew out of his hands and they were covered in darkness once more.

"What I've always wanted, to fight killer zombies in the dark," Darkwing muttered, then was shoved roughly to the floor.

In the blackness Darkwing could hear the Fearsome Four's cries of terror.

"AAAGGHH! Help me!"

"Ow, quit pushing!"

"Ew gross!"

"Mr. Banana Brain! Where are you?"

"I can't see dammit!"

Darkwing stumbled to his feet and began wrestling with an unseen adversary. He was at a loss until he heard Negaduck's voice carry above the chaos.

"LIQUIDATOR! FREEZE FRAME!"

At the last second Darkwing realized what Negaduck was talking about and dropped to the floor. He heard what sounded like a tidal wave crashing above him. Suddenly everything was quiet, and a soft, green glow filled the room.

"This ain't doin' much for my knees," Darkwing grumbled, feeling his age as he once again pushed himself up.

The soulless eggmen glistened in the light, frozen stiff by a solid coating of ice.

"Frozen foods, aisle four," Liquidator said proudly.

Negaduck readjusted his hat and smoothed his cape.

"At least you can do something right, water boy. Okay, now that we've got _that_ taken care of – hey, where's that light coming from?"

All eyes turned to Quackerjack, who was holding a glowing teddy bear.

"I forgot I had him," the toy maker informed, "I created this little guy to serve as a comforting nightlight to little children. I call him Hypno Henry!"

Darkwing frowned. That did not sound promising.

"_Hypno_ Henry?" the mallard repeated ominously.

"Yes bazooka beak, _Hypno_. I thought it would be a good name for him, because for some reason or another he always seems to put people in this weird trance…"

Quackerjack's voice began fading away, and suddenly Darkwing couldn't tear his eyes away from the unusual teddy bear. The bear was trying to tell him to do something…

_See the pretty window over there?_

Darkwing nodded involuntarily.

Yeah, I see it.

_Why don't you just jump out of it?_

But won't that hurt?

_No, of course not, it'll be fun!_

Well, okay, whatever you think is best…

Darkwing began sauntering to the open window when the green glow faded away. Darkwing shook his head and blinked, his head clearing rapidly. Quackerjack whipped out a flashlight and illuminated the rest of the crew, giggling, "See, I told you he puts people in a trance!"

Darkwing looked around. Liquidator had morphed his arm into a hammer and had it poised above his head, Megavolt was aiming his electrogun right between his own eyes, while Negaduck had Bushroot by the throat. Judging by the bewildered looks on their faces, they were drifting out of their own hypnosis.

"I feel like I just ate an expired Twinkie," Megavolt muttered, holstering his gun.

"That was horrible! I heard this voice in my head that told me to do terrible things!" Bushroot cried.

Quackerjack looked at the plant-duck empathetically.

"Don't fret, you get used to it."

Negaduck tossed Bushroot to the floor and marched up to the jester. Grabbing him by the bells of his hat and yanking him forward, Negaduck screamed, "You _KNOB_! You complete imbecile! What the hell do you think you were doing, you – YOU HAD A FLASHLIGHT THE WHOLE TIME?!"

Quackerjack held Mr. Banana Brain in front of his face and cringed as Negaduck pulled back his fist. Out of the blue Megavolt complained, "Ugh, what smells like seafood?"

Negaduck's face went blank and he realeased Quackerjack.

"You mean like fish?" he asked breathlessly.

"Haddock, I'd say," Megavolt answered.

Negaduck shoved Megavolt aside and sniffed. It was rotten fish all right. He followed the stench to the ceiling, where there was an open air vent.

"I know how to get to them!" Negaduck cried.

"How so?" Darkwing questioned skeptically.

"Her boots, they smell like fish!"

Without another word, Negaduck pushed Bushroot to his knees. Bushroot grumbled, but Darkwing hopped onto the plant-duck's back and used him as a boost to reach the ceiling. Darkwing hoisted himself into the vent, followed by Negaduck, Megavolt and Quackerjack.

As Quackerjack tugged Bushroot into the opening, Liquidator asked hesitantly, "Uh, does that thing go straight up by any chance?"

"How else do you get to the friggin' rooftop?" Negaduck spat, his voice echoing against the metal walls.

"Are there any handholds?"

"It's an air vent Licky. No. What's the big deal?" Darkwing called down.

"When's the last time you saw water go uphill?" Liquidator snapped, "I can't do it, but there must be not one, but TWO ways to get up there. I'll see what I can do."

Liquidator sloshed away in search of another route. Not one to complain when a villain departed, Darkwing shrugged and continued shimmying up the vent. Negaduck muttered something and followed his double.

--

Gosalyn was watching cars traversing Audubon Bay Bridge when she heard a muffled, "Now I know what a sardine feels like," come from the metal airshaft beside her. No, it couldn't be. She was hallucinating. The duckling glanced over at Aviana, who was staring intently at the metal tube. She had heard it too.

More hushed voices began emanating from the shaft.

"I've got a phobia about small places…I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"Uh oh, electro-boy's having issues."

"Quiet you clamorous clods! We need to maintain the element of surprise!"

"I'm not sticking around a metal tube while Sparky's freaking out – MOVE IT OR LOSE IT DULLWING!"

Darkwing Duck suddenly popped out of the shaft, followed by Negaduck, Megavolt, Quackerjack and Bushroot. Gosalyn's eyes lit up. Aviana put a finger to her beak and mouthed "_Shh_", motioning to Launchpad, who was busy swatting away mosquitoes. Darkwing nodded and crawled silently to the two captives, Negaduck and the rest trailing behind.

The crime fighter tugged at the steel cords binding his daughter, but it was like trying to tear metal with his bare hands. To his surprise, Quackerjack offered him and Negaduck two pairs of his trademark toy teeth. Wordlessly the two mallards released the fake jaws on the steel cords. They chewed through the binds like they were made of butter, and everything was working perfectly until Negaduck's set of teeth turned on him.

The toy jaws clamped down on Negaduck's fingers with a loud _crunch!_ Darkwing groaned inwardly but Negaduck voiced his opinions loud and clear.

"OH YOU MOTHER – "

The villain shook his hand wildly until the teeth let go. The crew watched in horror as the toy sailed through the air and struck a certain cyborg right on the head.

"Surprise…" Darkwing said feebly.

NOTE: Well, this might not be finished by the end of June, but it'll be close. One more chapter. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion…


	18. Broken Bones, Broken Eyes

Disclaimer: To those of you who still, after all this, think I own these characters…well, you might as well keep believing it, there's obviously no changing your mind.

Thank you thank you thank you reviewers!

Negaduck hissed in pain and clutched his bleeding fingers, knowing at least two were broken. He turned to Quackerjack and growled, "If I could use both my hands I'd personally shove that stupid doll of yours down your stupid throat!"

The jester stuck out Mr. Banana Brain.

"Too bad, Tad!"

Negaduck raised his good fist, but a shrill cry interrupted his near-pummeling.

"Lookie, Darkwing Duck has decided to come out and play!" Taurus Bulba cooed.

"PLAYTI – " Quackerjack began, but Darkwing clamped his beak shut.

The bull's face twisted into a wild smile.

"And he's brought friends too! I knew you would come to the party eventually Darkwing, but I did not know you would bring more guests. No matter, we will just have to warm up with a party game. How about 'shoot the hideout'?"

Bulba fell into a fit of hysterical laughter and began firing a round of shots from his arm, all of them aimed in the direction of Audubon Bay Bridge. The blasts could not breach the distance, and they fell haphazardly into the streets below.

Megavolt frowned and turned to Darkwing.

"_This_ is the big bad crime lord you were going on and on about? He's crazy. And I know crazy," the rat said.

Darkwing didn't answer. He had always considered Taurus to be one of his more mentally stable adversaries, but now he was acting like a raging lunatic.

"If you think he's crazy now, you shoulda heard him before," Gosalyn commented.

"GAH! See, this is why I emphasized surprise! Get it?! Surprise! As in, catching the villain off guard to utilize his vulnerability, that kinda surprise!" Darkwing fumed, "Okay, I'll take care of bull brain. Aviana, he's gotta bring out the Eye sometime, make sure you get it – in one piece! And Gosalyn, repeat after me: I will keep my distance and not do anything to jeopardize my health."

"I will keep my distance and not do anything to jeopardize my health. But Darkwing – "

"No buts! Now…"

Darkwing made towards Bulba, but suddenly stopped. Something did not feel right, like he was missing something…

"I am the terror that flaps in the night I am the straw that breaks the camel's back I am Darkwing Duck!" the crime fighter spouted at light speed.

Now feeling complete, Darkwing rushed towards Taurus Bulba.

"Quick, I need something bang my head against," Negaduck muttered lowly.

Aviana looked at him amusedly and said, "You're really batting a thousand tonight Fuzzy."

"I know you from somewhere…" Megavolt mused, squinting at the duckette.

"No you don't Megs, you're thinking of that lady in Vegas," Quackerjack corrected casually.

"Oh. Yeah. Never mind then," Megavolt said.

Negaduck and Aviana stared at them blankly.

"Okay, I think I'll just go blind my mental eye now," Negaduck said flatly.

Gosalyn was listening in on the conversation when she saw something that made her heart stop. Darkwing wasn't here, so she'd have to go the next closest thing…

"Uh, Negaduck…"

Aviana turned to the black-masked mallard.

"Look, I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm going after the Devil's Eye."

"Oooh, that's a surprise," Negaduck snapped.

"Don't wait up for me," Aviana snapped back, and darted towards Darkwing and Bulba.

"Negaduck…" Gosalyn asked again.

The black-masked mallard did not acknowledge her presence, but instead turned to Bushroot, Megavolt, and Quackerjack.

"Do you blockheads need something?!"

"W-well we were just uh, just wondering w-what we should do," Bushroot stuttered.

"NEGADUCK!" Gosalyn bellowed.

The villain whipped around, his cape flourishing and a look of vehemence on his face. He glared down at Gosalyn and seethed, "Can't you see I'm _ignoring_ you?!"

Gosalyn tugged on her pigtails in frustration.

"Look behind you," the duckling growled through clenched teeth.

" '_Look behind you_'," Negaduck mocked, then turned around as if to humor her, only to come beak to beak with a soulless Launchpad.

"Not you again," the mallard whined.

The pilot cracked his joints and roared in Negaduck's face. He gulped.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" the villain hissed at Gosalyn.

Before the indignant redhead could answer, Launchpad lunged forward. In a flash Negaduck snatched Megavolt's arm and swung him into the zombie. They collided in an explosion of electricity, causing Launchpad's muscles to seize up.

"Ouch," Megavolt murmured, twitching.

Negaduck jumped behind the bewildered Quackerjack and Bushroot.

"Well kiddies, you said you wanted something to do – "

With that Negaduck shoved them towards Launchpad and the other approaching eggmen.

"Play nicely!" he called cheerily, then sprinted in Darkwing and Bulba's direction.

"Wait, come back!" Quackerjack cried desperately.

"We don't have insurance!" Megavolt added.

Their pleas went nowhere, while Launchpad and the eggmen began closing in on the three villains.

--

"Ha! Ha again! Triple ha! And ha s'more!"

Darkwing Duck dodged Taurus Bulba's lasers left and right.

"You need to work on your aim, metal mouth. May I suggest a new pair of eyes? Or should I just stand still and count to ten?"

Bulba roared and fired another shot at the trash-talking mallard.

Darkwing sidestepped the blast and quipped, "Don't have a _cow_ Bulbsy."

"I will relish in watching your feathers boil in Hell, duck!" Bulba yelled contemptuously, "EGGMEN! ATTACK!"

The gruesome drones swarmed around Darkwing from all sides, clawing their way towards him like moths to a flame.

"Heh heh, problem…" Darkwing chuckled nervously to himself.

Hey…they seemed to all be coming at him at a reasonably similar rate…they would probably hit him all at once…if he timed it just right…

At the last second Darkwing dove under an eggman's legs. He heard the sound of bodies crashing into each other as he got back to his feet, unscathed.

"My brilliance astonishes me yet again!" the masked mallard shouted triumphantly.

Darkwing looked behind him at the pile of soulless eggman, tangled in a mass of arms and legs from their collision. He looked back to Taurus with an arrogant grin.

"One plate of scrambled eggmen with a side of beef to go!"

The bull's entire bulky body began trembling with uncontrolled rage.

"I will kill you! I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Don't count your chickens before they – yikes!"

Darkwing was cut off by a rapid fire from Bulba's helmet weaponry. He hopped up and down wildly as the cyborg's lasers shot towards his webbed feet.

--

"C'mon guys, can't we talk this out? What's a good non-maiming between friends?"

Launchpad and the eggmen ignored the desperate Megavolt's pleas and continued to move in on the three villains.

"Yeah, don't be so hasty – I never did anything to you!" Quackerjack cried.

Launchpad snarled.

"Fine, maybe to _you_," Quackerjack admitted with a touch of annoyance, then pointed to Mr. Banana Brain, "But he told me to do it!"

The jester froze. The eggmen were approaching him hungrily. All eyes were on him, he was in the spotlight…so he did the only thing he could think of that seemed fitting…

Megavolt and Bushroot stared as Quackerjack broke out into an impromptu tap dance.

"Poor Quackerjack…" Bushroot murmured, shaking his head sadly.

"The worst part is I think it's working," Megavolt pointed out.

Indeed, Launchpad and the eggmen had stopped bearing down on the three and were instead watching the jester with interest.

"Ta daaaaa!" Quackerjack sang, finishing his jig with a bow, "take it away, Megavolt!"

To the rodent's surprise, the zombies turned to him expectantly. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh, well okay…" Megavolt stuttered, then began his version of a tap dance.

Launchpad and the drones watched for a few seconds and started to growl, apparently dissatisfied with Megavolt's dancing skills.

"Give me a break!" Megavolt snapped defensively, "I don't see Bushtoot over here shakin' it up!"

"Sorry, two left feet," Bushroot said, shrugging.

"Grow a right foot then!" Megavolt suggested heatedly.

The soulless ducks continued their advance.

Quackerjack stated haughtily, "Well then. That just proves the theory that guys who talk to light bulbs can't dance."

Megavolt shot him a nasty look then turned to the zombies.

"Okay, now you've done it – I'm going to have to resort to drastic measures! Thou shall taste the wrath of the mighty Megavolt…Quack Fu style!"

Megavolt struck various karate poses and began crying out in a Japanese accent, "HEE-YA! WHOO-TAH! SHAZAM!"

The bluff did not amuse Launchpad. He growled and hoisted Megavolt into the air.

"Uh-oh," Megavolt squeaked.

"Aren't we on a roll tonight Sparky?" Quackerjack commented.

The jester made to help his friend but soulless eggmen grabbed him from behind.

"Watch, I'm ticklish!" Quackerjack giggled to the drones.

Megavolt scowled.

"Don't call me Sparkyyyyyyy!" he yelled as Launchpad heaved him into the air.

--

Taurus Bulba's lasers began to slow, allowing him and Darkwing Duck time for a brief recharge

"Phew," Darkwing breathed, then continued in a louder voice, "whatsa matter Bulbsy, need to visit a gas station?"

The bull's eyes flared. As he glowered at the cape-wearing bane of his existence, something snapped in his brain. His last shred of sanity vanished. All that was left was immeasurable hatred, the most passionate he had ever felt in his life.

Suddenly, Bulba felt himself become hyperaware of his surroundings. His circuits were in overdrive. He could feel the vibrations of the duckette in the black sweatshirt's footsteps, he could smell the sweat on Darkwing's look-alike's brow, he could hear Darkwing's heart beating beneath his chest.

Aviana charged at him from behind, planning to catch the cyborg by surprise. Instead she barely managed to twist out of the way as Taurus struck out at her like a snake.

Taking advantage of Bulba's distraction, Darkwing rushed forward and leapt into a web kick aimed for the back of the bull's head. Too bad Taurus knew exactly what the mallard was up to, or else it might have worked.

As it was, Bulba spun around and whipped out his arm, catching Darkwing directly in the stomach. The purple clad duck soared a good ten feet in the air before crashing back down on the rooftop with a loud _thud!_

"Dad!" Gosalyn cried out, and left the safety of a bystander to go aid her father.

The mallard laid on his back, completely stunned.

"Yes…I enjoy pina coladas and getting caught in the rain…" Darkwing mused dazedly.

"Just sit pretty for me duck, while I take care of your _double_," Bulba said, turning to Negaduck with a devilish grin.

"Crap," Negaduck grumbled.

The cyborg advanced. Thinking quickly, Negaduck pulled out Darkwing's gas gun he had "borrowed." He squeezed the trigger.

Nothing happened.

"Dammit! There's nothing in this thing!"

"Well whose fault is that?" Darkwing said, his speech still slightly slurred.

Taurus laughed harshly and sprang at the villain. Negaduck looked at his hand, realizing for a panicked moment that he was armed with only broken fingers and an empty gun, about to be attacked by a huge cyborg. He did the only thing he could think of, and slung the gas gun at Bulba with all his might.

Guided by some divine influence, the butt of the gun struck Taurus Bulba squarely in the eye, shattering his cyber optic lens. The bull cried out in pain as the gas gun clattered to the ground.

"Man I'm good!" Negaduck commented while skirting out of the cyborg's path.

As Darkwing's head slowly cleared, he noticed his gun on the ground. He had extra capsules in his jacket, if he could just get to it…

As Bulba bellowed with pain, Darkwing crawled desperately towards his weapon. He was almost there – he stretched out his arm to grab it –

Taurus Bulba's foot came careening down, snapping Darkwing's beloved gas gun in half. Darkwing winced. It was like losing an old friend.

"So…who has underestimated who tonight, eh Darkwing?" Taurus cooed evilly, seizing Darkwing by the collar before the mallard could react.

He held Darkwing up to his face. The crime fighter kicked and struggled, glaring at Bulba with all the hatred he could muster.

Taurus sneered and said, "Finally I have you in my clutches, Darkwing Duck. I've waited so long…you are very helpless, you know that? Now, as little daughter-poo watches, I will slowly inflict the physical pain you have bestowed upon me. Where shall I begin…I guess your arm is as good as any…"

Gosalyn watched in horror as the bull spun Darkwing around and grasped his forearm. In one swift movement he snapped it like a twig.

The crack of his own bones splitting in two resonated in Darkwing's ears. For a brief moment he felt no pain, and wondered if nothing had happened, but the agony suddenly hit him like freight train. At first it was like a dull roar, but the roar began to encompass his whole body with a violent pain in his arm.

Darkwing gritted his teeth, determined not to show his anguish. His pain-dulled mind barely made out Bulba's, "I shall break every bone in your scrawny little body." For an instant Darkwing wondered if Taurus would remember to break the tiny bones in his ears…maybe he should remind him…No! He was hallucinating…the pain was so intense…

"And now to your other arm…and then your legs…and then G_oo_salyn's neck…"

Darkwing squirmed in Bulba's grasp, but stopped, exhausted from pain. He was at a loss until he saw a rat in a yellow jumpsuit hurtling towards him.

"Don't call me Sparkyyyyyyy!"

It was a head-on collision between an electric rodent and a metal bull. Megavolt's electricity surged through Taurus Bulba's body, and the cyborg's limbs went haywire. His grip on Darkwing instantly slackened, and the mallard dropped to the ground.

Megavolt staggered. Quackerjack called over to him, "Way to go Megs, you're two for two tonight!"

"Well you know what they say…any electrocution you can walk away from…" Megavolt said weakly.

Gosalyn rushed to her father's side.

"Gos, get out of here, go to Morgana's," Darkwing wheezed automatically.

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna leave you here with the Fearsome Five, Taurus Bulba, and a truckload of zombies. Besides, you're hurt!" Gosalyn said firmly.

"I'm fine – " Darkwing started, but grimaced in pain.

"Right…" Gosalyn muttered, then looked down at his arm. There was a large, bloody blotch on her father's shirtsleeve and a hint of sharp, white bone had pierced through the jacket.

"Whoa…he really did a number on ya Darkwing."

"Piffle. It coulda been worse."

Gosalyn gulped and pointed up.

"I think this is the 'coulda been' part!"

Darkwing followed her gesture right to the barrel of Bulba's blaster arm. He threw himself in front of Gosalyn instinctively, ignoring the morbid thought of what good his body would do at point blank range.

"The typical hero, valiantly sacrificing his body to save the life of an innocent, a truly beautiful moment…makes me sick," Bulba spat, shoving the weapon further into Darkwing's face.

Darkwing breathed in, catching the strange, sterile smell the gun had to it, one that practically gave him a headache. He shook his head and shifted all his weight to his left, cradling his injured arm on his stomach.

"Ever since that night on the tower, Darkwing, I've barely been alive. I was half-dead after the explosion, and though my body may have healed, I'm still not living what many call a 'life'."

"What, am I suppose'ta feel sorry for you now?" Darkwing asked sourly.

"Shut up you sniveling fool! You're the one thought that kept me alive, the thought that someday you would pay, you would experience the torment that you have given me…and now that time has come…"

Bulba held his arm level with Darkwing's eyes. As he looked down, he realized that the eyes held no fear, only defiant hatred. Bulba sneered. That would soon change.

"But first, I must get rid of these jokers," Taurus informed, jerking his finger at Negaduck, Bushroot, Quackerjack, and Megavolt.

The cyborg revealed the Devil's Eye, raising it high above his head.

"Eggmen! Kill these worthless buffoons."

"I'll give you buffoon!" Negaduck snarled, pushing up his sleeves.

"Um, N-Negaduck…" Bushroot stuttered with a nervous tap on his shoulder.

"WHAT NOW?!"

"Look."

Negaduck gazed around, his eyes widening. Dozens upon dozens of soulless eggmen were clamoring towards them. Within seconds the members of the fearsome group were surrounded by bloodthirsty zombies.

Darkwing's stomach turned over guiltily. He didn't care if they were villains, in no way had he ever meant to drag them to their death. Now they were going to die, and it was all his fault. And Launchpad, he would probably die too. Hell, he and Gosalyn were going to die – Gosalyn. Gosalyn was going to die, and it was his doing…

The mallard could hardly watch as the eggmen closed in on the villains he knew all too well.

"Well Megs, I guess this is it…" Quackerjack said drearily.

"This is what?" Megavolt asked.

"The end, Sparky, the end! We're buying the farm, kicking the bucket, going to that big toy factory in the sky…"

"Oh, I get it, bulbs are about to burn out. And don't call me Sparky."

"Oh Megavolt! I'm sorry for using you as a guinea pig for my Jaws of Life toy, and squirting you with that water gun for my amusement!" Quackerjack sobbed.

"It's okay – I'm sorry for doubling your electricity bill every month and for spreading those pictures of you all over the Internet!" Megavolt sobbed back.

"And Bushroot – even though it was utterly hilarious, uprooting your entire plant nursery was wrong of me!" Quackerjack continued.

"THAT WAS YOU?!" the plant-duck screeched.

Quackerjack pulled out his doll.

"Mr. Banana Brain, you can have the Time Top. And Hypno Henry."

"Thanks ol' pal," Mr. Banana Brain said.

"Here Mr. Banana Brain, say goodbye to Negaduck for me – I'm terrible with goodbyes," the jester bawled.

"Get. That. Stupid. Doll. Outta. My. Face. And shut up already, we ain't dyin'!" Negaduck seethed.

"We're not?"

"No! The almighty Negaduck is not going to be bumped off by zombies! It's just too stupid!" Negaduck declared forcefully.

The mallard glanced around, beginning to wonder just how exactly he planned on not dying. The eggmen were getting closer…Negaduck resisted the urge blast them into tiny pieces, they'd probably just regenerate…gross…time was running out…

Negaduck saw a strange object out of the corner of his eye hurtling through the air. It struck an eggman right on the noggin before clattering at the villain's webbed feet. It was…a manhole covering? Suddenly he heard the sound of rushing water.

"Without further ado, courtesy of the St. Canard Sewage System, it's the _LIQ_UIDATOR! Told ya I'd get up here eventually – holy stockbrokers, what happened up here?"

"Save the twenty questions for later Liquidator – " Negaduck began.

"Hey that rhymed!" Quackerjack interrupted.

Negaduck tweaked the jester's beak and continued to Liquidator, "Wipe this place clean!"

Liquidator's eyes lit up and he nodded. That was the one thing Negaduck had somewhat liked about the guy – he would always understand his clichés.

"Whaddaya say we go for a spin, eh fellas?" Liquidator gurgled to the eggmen.

Using the powers that came so naturally but were so impossible to explain, Liquidator summoned the water from the city's sewers. Manhole coverings flew into the air as jets of water pumped out the streets. Energy pumped through his body as Liquidator and the sewer water charged at the eggmen as one, large wave.

Before the drones could utter a grunt they were swept up in a torrent of water. Liquidator swam in a circle, making sure to catch every last zombie, until he had morphed into a cyclone of water.

Bulba roared in fury. Why did that damn duck's double have to get the better of him as well? No matter, he will just have to suffer all the more.

While Megavolt was teetering about nervously, Darkwing simply gawked at the waterspout surrounding him. They were in the middle of it, in the eye of the storm, while the eggmen were getting the ride of their life. He scouted the cyclone desperately for any sign of his sidekick, until he heard a strange grunting behind him.

"What do you think of my new right-hand man?" Bulba asked in a surprisingly calm manner, gesturing to Launchpad, who was standing alongside him obediently.

Darkwing swallowed his surge of jealousy and found that he could only glare at the bull contemptuously.

"What, Darkwing has nothing to say? I must admit, I am a teensy bit shocked…I would have thought that the, _mighty_, Darkwing Duck would not let a chance to state his last words slip," Bulba said, pushing his blaster arm directly against Darkwing's forehead.

The feel of cold metal on his feathers was nothing compared to the fearful tightening of Gosalyn's arms around his waist, or the anxious nuzzling of her beak into the back of his neck. The hatred burned within him like wildfire, but Darkwing just did not know what to do. Bulba was too irrational by this point – if he tried to stand up, he'd be shot. If he got the hell out of the way, Gosalyn would be shot. All he could do was sit there and act as the fragile wall between his daughter and her worst nightmare.

"Bulba listen to me – she's an eleven year old girl, just let her go, I'm the one you want, she has nothing to do with this, _just let her go _– "

Taurus ignored his pleas and said with evil delight, "I've lost my patience Darkwing. No more stalling – I will just end your pathetic life at this very moment. It may not be what I planned but, eh, good riddance."

"Bye Dad, I love you," Gosalyn whispered into his feathers.

Darkwing felt numb. All the words he wanted to say – to Launchpad, Morgana, and especially Gos, were lost. And now the little girl he held so dear was lost as well. Darkwing wanted nothing more than to tell her he was sorry, that she shouldn't be afraid, that he'd do all could to be there for her in death, but all he managed to choke out was, "I love you too Gos."

Darkwing found morbidly that he could not bring himself to shut his eyes. He stared at the laser cannon avidly until he noticed a black combat boot sail through the air and strike Bulba's hand. It knocked both the bull out of balance and the Devil's Eye from his grasp. His laser arm jerked to the side and fired, missing Darkwing and Gosalyn by inches. Aviana rushed forward and caught the orb before it hit the ground.

Wasting no time, Darkwing got to his feet the best he could with a broken arm.

"Gos, get somewhere safe!" he commanded, and was glad when she did not object.

Still keeping his eyes on the cyborg, Darkwing continued, "Good going Aviana, now, just give me the Eye and we'll take care of this beastly bovine – Aviana?"

She was not listening, but was instead staring at the orb intently.

"Uh Aviana, hate to break it to ya but we REALLY don't have time for admiring that thing," Darkwing urged impatiently.

The duckette just mouthed something and continued to stare at the Devil's Eye, her body beginning to shake.

"Give it to me, we had a deal!" Darkwing shouted forcefully.

Aviana shook her head and whispered hoarsely, "No…it's mine…it's finally mine…"

"Crap, now she's lost it!" Negaduck snapped suddenly, and marched over to her.

He made a reach for the orb, but Aviana pulled it away defensively.

"No, it's mine!" she hissed.

Negaduck made another grab for it, but Aviana squirmed out of the way.

"Just give it here, it apparently isn't very healthy for you!" he demanded.

"It's all I've wanted for years, how could it not be healthy for me?!"

"You're going insane!"

"Am not!"

"You're holding a black rock, staring at it like a crazed Amazon warrior and wearing one shoe. Hmm, seems a little psycho to me," Negaduck said tersely.

"Look who's talking – you're wearing a bright yellow jacket, a huge red hat, a black cape, and to top it all off you're not wearing pants. Hmm, seems a little psycho to me!" Aviana shouted back.

Negaduck scowled.

"Give it!"

"No!"

"GIVE IT!"

"NO!"

Negaduck made a wild grab for, while Aviana tried to keep him out of reach with her foot. He pushed forward and proved too much for her, finally wrapping his good hand around the Eye. He tugged, and she tugged back.

"Let…go!" Negaduck grunted.

"Ne…ver!" she grunted back.

As the two ducks wrestled for control, Taurus Bulba's short-fused temper ran out.

"Both of you are wrong, the Devil's Eye is _mine!_ I sold my soul to it, I control it, it's MINE!"

These words seemed to hit home with Aviana.

"You sold your soul to it?!" she asked bewilderedly, but then yelped in pain.

The Devil's Eye was suddenly white-hot to the touch, burning with Taurus Bulba's anger. Aviana ground her teeth and tried to hold on…the Eye began to awake the dreadful memories, she could see them clearly…the red blood as she pulled the blade across her wrist…

The duckette cried out in anguish and released the Devil's Eye. She staggered backwards and fell, her hands still steaming from the heat. That left only Negaduck still holding the sizzling orb in the palm of his hand.

"One of you has come to your senses…now, just give the pretty stone to me…" Bulba persuaded to Negaduck quietly.

"DON'T GIVE IT TO HIM!" Darkwing and Aviana called out simultaneously.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Negaduck dully noted their advice and held onto the burning orb tightly. He didn't know if he should consider himself lucky that the blinding pain seemed to block out the horrible memories as he fell to his knees.

Negaduck was clutching the Devil's Eye with both hands now, his broken fingers seemed like a tickle compared to the burning anyway. He could barely tell that his whole body was trembling, that his face was distorted with pain, that he was sweating furiously; all he knew was that he was burning inside and out, and he couldn't let go.

Darkwing watched with bated breath as Negaduck writhed in pain. He looked at his double's anguished face and knew at once that he was practically looking into a mirror. It was his same face, the one he made when his arm had been broken, the same face that was too proud to let any sign of weakness show through.

Was that what Bulba had reduced them to? Two mallards at their lowest, trying everything they could just to survive? Darkwing heard a soft chuckle. He turned to see Taurus, who was staring with narrowed eyes at Negaduck and the Devil's Eye.

Without thinking, Darkwing Duck leapt forward and barreled into Taurus Bulba. Bulba lost eye contact, the Devil's Eye stopped burning, and Negaduck collapsed to the ground.

Darkwing shook his head, dizzy with pain. He immediately looked over to Negaduck, and gulped involuntarily. His double was laying strangely still.

Without warning Darkwing felt a cold hand seize him by the gruff of his neck. His arm wrenched painfully, and the crime fighter found himself too weak to struggle as Taurus Bulba brought him up to his face.

"Why are you so hard to kill?" the bull growled through his teeth.

Darkwing opened his beak to retort but gagged as Bulba tightened his chokehold.

"I hate you Darkwing Duck…" Taurus seethed, and his face was etched in hellish glee as he squeezed the mallard's neck.

The cyborg's enhanced senses became aware of an airborne object heading towards him.

"Not another damn boot," he said, and shot the object with his helmet weapons without even a glance.

A deafening _CRACK _reverberated around them. Taurus dropped Darkwing in surprise; Liquidator broke his whirlpool, scattering eggmen everywhere.

"Side effects may include extreme dizziness and nasea," Liquidator moaned.

Bulba frowned. That was a hell of a lot of noise for a boot. He turned his head to see what he had shot, and his insides squirmed.

The Devil's Eye was laying on the ground, broken in two, clean halves.

Darkwing gazed at the broken orb, the reality slowly sinking in. The only one who could've thrown it was –

Negaduck. Darkwing snapped his gaze to his double, who was breathing hoarsely, shaking like mad, his arm still poised from the throw. Darkwing locked eyes with his mirror image. Despite his exhaustion, Negaduck still glowered at him with an intense mixture of disgust and triumph, and suddenly it all came through to Darkwing. Negaduck had realized his most hated enemy had saved his life, and saving Darkwing's was his own twisted way of getting back at him for it.

Their staring match was cut short by a strangely familiar rushing of air. Heaps of white mists were pouring from the destroyed Eye, all making beelines to their eggmen owners.

Gosalyn watched as a large mist melted into Launchpad. The duckling blinked, and Launchpad's ghastly features had faded into his usual, warm appearance. The pilot shook his head. He looked around, the picture of confusion.

"Wha…boy, this is strange…where am I? I don't think I shoulda had that last Hippo Burger…"

Gosalyn lunged forward, grabbing him by his scarf and tugging him down to eye level.

"Launchpad!" she demanded sternly, "What's my name?"

Launchpad frowned and asked, "Is this some sorta trick question Gos?"

"You're back!" Gosalyn cheered, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yup, I'm back!…wait, back from where?" the pilot asked.

"We've got a lot of explaining to do…"

They heard a strangled cry, and their attention turned to Taurus Bulba. Gosalyn and Launchpad gasped, staring at one of the strangest sights they had ever seen. A large portal, much like the one, Gosalyn noted, that lead into limbo, had opened up, red flames licking the entrance. Bulba was being sucked into it as if the portal were some kind of vacuum. His fingers scraped the ground as he was slowly drug towards the threshold.

"Mark my words…Darkwing…you haven't…seen the last of…Taurus…BULBA!" the cyborg screamed, before he flew into the doorway. The portal squeezed shut, and everything was quiet.

There was a strange, empty silence surrounding them. Negaduck sat on the ground in a dazed state, nursing his aching hands in a cool puddle of water. They were torn, shiny red, and bleeding; he had practically peeled the Devil's Eye off his palms. He wasn't all that surprised when the puddle moved, morphing into the Liquidator, who gave the mallard an almost sympathetic look. Well, as sympathetic as a super villain could look.

The rest of the Fearsome Four made their way towards Negaduck, looking at him in an almost "what do we do now?" fashion.

"Whoa, that was _definitely_ the biggest cyborg I've ever seen sucked into a portal against his will," Megavolt finally muttered to anyone who would listen.

Aviana trudged over and half sat, half collapsed next to Negaduck, looking very pale.

"You okay?" she asked the villain halfheartedly.

Negaduck glared at her for a moment and then croaked, "What just happened?"

"When the Devil's Eye broke, it broke open limbo. All the souls escaped. So, the Devil wanted his eye back, and he opened Hell. And because Bulba sold his soul to it, he went to Hell too," Aviana said in a calm tone, as if this sort of thing happened every day.

"Oh, of course," Negaduck said, equally calm.

Negaduck caught the blank stare on the duckette's face. He had never been one for diplomacy, but he ventured awkwardly, "Sorry about your…Eye…thing… I guess you're a little upset…"

"I don't know how we lived through that," Aviana snapped in a sudden, strong voice, "We shouldn't have, and now I lost the most important thing to me. I don't know how you live in this city, I don't understand it, this place is…I don't know, but I'm leaving it. Here – "

Aviana pulled out an aged piece of parchment and shoved it into Negaduck's jacket.

"Take this. You'll need it more than I will," she paused, then growled, "_God_ that sounded cliché. Anyway, good luck living in this freak show. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Negaduck looked to his hands, then to Darkwing, glaring fiercely.

"I'm sure."

"Goodbye Fuzzy."

"Goodbye Girlie."

Aviana shook her head, and walked quietly over to the fire escape. Kicking off her remaining boot, she disappeared over the edge of the rooftop.

Negaduck gingerly picked up the aged parchment and held it to his face. He was greeted with a bizarre set of letters in a language he couldn't read.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he hissed, then placed the parchment back beneath his jacket.

Suddenly he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Negaduck spun around to face a paling Quackerjack.

"WHAT?!" he roared.

"Jeez, you don't have to be so huffy – ahem, my associates and I were wondering um, what now?" Quackjack asked.

Negaduck glanced in Darkwing's direction, then to his hands. If anything could have risen the crime fighter on his "I-Hate-You-O-Meter"…

Negaduck turned to the four villains.

"Meet me at the Old Haunt. The Fearsome Five is back in business."

NOTE: Don't forget to read the epilogue…


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

NOTE: If anyone went right to this chapter without reading chapter 18, go back and read it!

"Darned it Drake-arooni, that's one heckuva cast ya got there!"

"Thanks for pointing that out Herb."

Herb Muddlefoot sat in Drake's living room, eyeing his neighbor's broken arm with fascination.

"Wouldja look at that…pins'n everything! Musta been one nasty fall down the stairs!" Herb commented with a clueless grin.

"Yeah, sure was…nasty," Drake said, trying not to think about how much he wanted the suburbanite to leave.

Herb merely made himself more comfortable on the couch and said, "Ya know I heard on the news this mornin' that good ol' Darkwing Duck went to the hospital last night for an injury just like that'n ya got there. Cast an' all that! What a coincidentalness!"

"Yeah, isn't that something," Drake agreed quickly.

"Kinda makes a guy wonder…eh well, Binkums is making pot roast! Gotta head on home! See ya 'round, neighbor!"

As Herb bustled out the door, Morgana took his seat on the couch next to Drake.

"I told you he'd be concerned Drake," the sorceress said teasingly.

Drake mumbled something inaudible and Gosalyn came bounding into the room, followed by Launchpad.

"And now," began Gosalyn in a booming voice, "for your viewing and crime busting pleasure, the indomitable, the courageous, the un-zombified Launchpad McQuack presents to you…your gas gun!"

Launchpad mock bowed and handed Drake his fully restored gas gun. The mallard smiled and grasped it with his good hand.

"Ha! The audacious avian of agility will be back on the streets and crushing criminals in no time flat!"

"And by 'no time flat' you mean 'once your arm heals', correct?" Morgana asked in a knowing tone.

"Oh…yeah. Anyway, thanks LP."

"Sure thing DW, it's the least I can do for…well, y'know…attacking you…" Launchpad said awkwardly.

"Water under the bridge, pal. Say, I didn't know you could deal with weaponry," Drake commented, eyes switching from his sidekick to his gas gun.

Launchpad grinned and exclaimed, "Well, if I can fix a plane, then I can fix a gas gun! I mean, they're pretty much the same thing!"

"Yeah Launchpad, because guns and planes both have engines and can fly," Gosalyn muttered sarcastically.

"Right!" Lauchpad beamed, then paused, "Er…"

While the two redheads struggled to find the similarities between the objects, Morgana asked Drake quietly, "So, Negaduck just disappeared? After all that?"

"I guess," the mallard answered, "I turned around, and he and the rest of the Fearsome Five were gone."

"Fearsome Five? I thought they broke up…"

"I dunno…I'm beginning to think recruiting them all was a bad idea…"

"And the Devil's Eye – you said it was destroyed?" Morgana pressed.

"Yeah, it broke in two, why do you ask?"

"Oh well, I talked to Father about it, and you know how he is," Morgana said, choosing to ignore Drake's expression, "he seemed to think it was dangerous…like he's never seen zombies before…"

"Is that a good thing, then? I still haven't talked to SHUSH about the whole 'one piece' thing."

"Well, my father said as long as it was destroyed, there's nothing to worry about."

"Yep, no more danger, all thanks to Darkwing Duck!" Drake shouted triumphantly. He paused, taking in the harsh glares from the surrounding ducks.

"And family," he finished.

"When there's trouble ya call Dee-double-ya," Launchpad said with a grin.

"Darn right," Drake said to the pilot.

Drake settled himself in the couch and flipped on the worn television.

"Hey Gos, get some popcorn," he said, "let's see if there's a good zombie movie on…"

END

It's…done! As you might have noticed, there are a lot of loose ends. That's because there's going to be a part two (I'm a sucker for sequels, what can I say). For more info, check my profile. Anyway, tell me what you think, this was my first fic. Anything I can improve upon, please let me know! And thanks for reading :)


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